Otoboku - After Graduation
by moviefan-92
Summary: Post-anime. Mizuho has graduated from Seio Academy, and is ready to reveal his secret to his friends. Mariya is still in love with him, but he's dating Takako, the daughter of his family's rivals. And what's this? An arranged marriage! Will Mizuho's friends accept the real him? Will he and Takako breakup? Who will end up with Mizuho? Prepare for lots of fluff and drama. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: Big Sister Is A Boy

**(A/N: Ok, so, this very out of my field of writing. I normally don't write fics like this, but it was a request from my cousin. I'd actually never even heard of this anime before until she asked me to write one. She's only twelve, but she knows I can't say no to her {you know it's true, cuz}. I didn't play the game, but I looked up what **_**Wikipedia**_** had to say, and since both the anime and the manga were short, I watched and read both. They were cute with some laughs, and I was able to come up with an idea. Don't know how good it's going to be since it's different from my usual writing style, but we'll see how it goes. It mostly follows the anime, but has bits of the game in it too. So, lets get started. This ones for you, cuz.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**"OTOBOKU – AFTER GRADUATION"**

**Chapter 1: Big Sister Is A Boy**

The café was a quaint little spot on the corner, but it managed to attract a decent amount of business. With its assortment of cakes and pastries, along with its sophisticated atmosphere, it was considered a nice place for friends to stop and grab a dessert.

Today, business was a little slow, so the three occupants sitting at the table just outside didn't have long to wait before their pastries and freshly brewed tea was served to them. The eldest of the three, a stunningly beautiful girl of about 19 years of age with long black hair and fair skin sipped her tea as the younger two daintily ate their desserts. Only 15 years old, the younger girls were more in the adorably cute stages of their lives, but each had the telltale signs of one day becoming beautiful women themselves.

At the table, two unoccupied chairs stood, waiting for the other two members to join. A lot had happened since the graduation ceremony at the all-girls school, Seio Girls' Academy, and the group of friends hadn't had time to get together like this in the two weeks since, but today they had finally managed to clear their schedules to meet up.

"I can't wait to see Big Sister Mizuho again," Kana Suoin cooed happily as she dug into her dessert.

"I know, so much has happened since graduation that we haven't been able to see each other since," Yukari Kamioka agreed enthusiastically.

The oldest of the three girls, Shion Jujo, couldn't help but smile into her tea. It wasn't so much the adorable expectant looks on the two girls' faces that made her smile, as cute as it was, but the thought of how they would react when they found out the truth about their 'Big Sister'.

However, the one they were referring to wasn't actually their sister; none of them were really. Rather, 'Big Sister' was simply how the student that received the title of Elder Sister was referred to after having been elected to the position by receiving a majority of the votes by the student body. Such a title included the responsibility of being a role model student and setting a good example for the rest of the students among things.

But that wasn't the only reason why Mizuho couldn't be their big sister. The biggest reason was a much more noticeable one, a biological one. Shion had been fortunate enough to be in the bathroom at the same time as Mizuho, and just happened to overhear enough to get the gist of things. It had taken her a few minutes to get over her surprise and figure out what she was going to do about it before she managed to prove her theory to be accurate.

Yes, Yukari and Kana's reactions were going to be very interesting indeed.

"I've never seen Mizuho in everyday clothes," Yukari said. "I bet she'll look just as beautiful as she did in her school uniform."

"Of course she will," Kana insisted. "Big Sister would look beautiful in anything she wore."

Shion's eyes suddenly lit up as she spotted the object of their conversation approaching. Mariya Mikado was there too, which only made sense that they came together since they were cousins, although Mariya had a bit more love for Mizuho than what would be considered appropriate for family members. Not that there was anything legally wrong with that, but most of society tended to frown on romantic relationships between cousins. And, being rather naïve at times, it was highly plausible that Mizuho hadn't even realized Mariya's true feelings.

But that was something Shion could entertain herself with later. For now, she would just enjoy the events that were about to play out. It was sure to be interesting.

Spotting their friends, Mariya waved to them as she ran ahead of Mizuho. "Shion, Kana, Yukari!"

The two younger girls' faces lit up, the one with the overly large ribbon in her hair rising to her feet and waving back. "Ah, Mariya!"

The older girl joined them, placing a hand on Kana's head and rubbing her hair as she pushed her back into her seat. "Hey there, Kana! Have you been good?"

"O-Of course! Kana is a good girl!"

Mariya chuckled, patting the girl's head. "Yes, yes, you are." She turned her attention to the other girl. "And how about you, Yukari? Have you been behaving?"

Feeling somewhat intimidated, Yukari nodded. "Y-Yes!"

Shion chuckled, feeling tempted to ask Mariya if _she_ had been behaving. Mariya was known to be overbearing at times and to cause trouble if it would amuse her, but she kept her mouth shut, eager to get to the main event.

Her eyes shifted to the boy standing a short distance behind Mariya. And yes, it was a boy, albeit a very feminine and androgynous one, but a boy nevertheless. The last time she had seen him, he'd been wearing a dress, had his hair hanging loose around him, and had on fake eyelashes and makeup, not to mention a pair of fake breasts stuck down his shirt.

Now his face was makeup free, his long hair was tied back, and he wore boys' clothes. Even so, he was still very beautiful, and at first glance, he could still be mistaken for a girl. If she hadn't heard him talking to himself that day in the bathroom as he tried to convince himself that he needed to get used to using the girls' room, she might never have figured out his true gender either. She was glad she did, it had made her school life very entertaining.

"So where's Big Sister Mizuho?" Kana asked. "I thought she was coming with you."

A mischievously evil grin crept up Mariya's face. She had been greatly anticipating this moment for some time now. "Before we get to that, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Ta-da!"

She held out her arms to Mizuho, presenting him to the girls. Looking nervous, he stepped forward to join the group, shyly waving to the girls. "H-Hello, Shion, Yukari, Kana."

Shion's eyes quickly darted back and forth between the two younger girls, studying their reactions. They were staring at Mizuho curiously, with what appeared to be awe written on their faces. Shion quickly glanced at Mizuho, and had to hide a smile at how nervous he looked.

"Amazing!" Yukari exclaimed. "He looks just like Mizuho!"

"They must be siblings!" Kana added.

"Siblings? They must be twins! Why didn't Big Sister ever tell us she had a brother?"

Mizuho sweat-dropped. He supposed they would have come to a conclusion like this. It was a far more likely scenario than the thought that due to his grandfather's unusual final request, he had been cross-dressing in order to attend an all-girl's school under his mother's maiden name.

Yukari's eyes suddenly lit up, and she practically jumped out of her seat. "Hey, hey, do you have a girlfriend? I'd be great if we could get married! Then Big Sister Mizuho will become my real big sister!"

"Eh!" Kana cried. "Yukari, that's not fair! I want Mizuho to be my real big sister too!"

An evil glint appeared in Mariya's eyes, and she grasped Mizuho's arm. "Sorry, girls, but he already has me. Besides, he doesn't need you, he already has a whole harem of girls to service him."

Mizuho looked horrified. "M-Mariya! Don't make up such things!"

Shion chuckled. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Yes, yes!" Yukari exclaimed. "What's your name?"

Mizuho sighed. It was time to get this over with. Taking a seat, he sat across from the three girls as Mariya dropped into the seat beside him. "Before I tell you who I am, I would like to tell you a story first."

Yukari and Kana blinked. "A story?" the former repeated.

Shion smirked. She'd been wondering how Mizuho would break the ice. "I love stories. Do tell us."

Mizuho shifted uncomfortably. "W-Well, this is a true story, even though it sounds like it's from a manga or anime, or maybe a visual novel or dating sims game." He shook his head. "Anyway, once upon a time, there was a boy who was very close to his grandfather. Family was very important to him, especially since he lost his mother due to an illness when he was younger."

"Eh?" Yukari cried. "Is this a sad story? I don't like sad stories."

Mizuho gave her a small smile. "It is a little sad, yes, and I'm afraid it gets sadder since the boy's grandfather joined his mother in Heaven a few years ago. But not before making one last request. His final wish was for his grandson to transfer to the same school his mother had attended."

"Transfer schools?" Kana repeated. "How come?"

"Uh…" Mizuho scratched his head. "He didn't specify, so no one could say why." Especially given the circumstances. He had theorized several reasons, but felt that the most likely scenario was that attending Seio Girls' Academy had been a major turning point in his mother's life, and her time and experiences there had made her the person she was. With that in mind, his grandfather had wanted him to have the same experience, believing that Seio Girls' Academy would help him to grow as a person more than any other school. At least that was Mizuho's theory, and if it was the reason, it seemed to have worked.

"Of course, the boy was happy to fulfill his grandfather's final request, but then he realized that he had forgotten one very important detail." At this, Mizuho blushed in embarrassment. "The school his mother had attended was an all-girls school."

"EH?!" the two 15 year olds cried.

"What a twist!" Yukari exclaimed.

"It _is_ just like a manga!" Kana reflected.

Mizuho's blushed deepened. "Yes, well, regardless of that, the boy still wanted to fulfill his grandfather's dying wish, as strange as it was, so he reluctantly agreed to transfer. But in order to do so, he had to…" He coughed and muttered something inaudible.

Mariya grinned evilly. "What's that? We can't hear you."

Mizuho's face was now beet red. "He had to p-p-pre-pretend to be a girl."

Shion couldn't resist chuckling at the embarrassed look on Mizuho's face, and snickered even louder as Yukari said, "Oh, it's a gender bender theme!"

Though Mizuho tended to wear his hair tied back, except for when he had been pretending to be a girl, he wished it was hanging loose right now so he could hide his red face behind it. "Y-Yeah, I guess it is. So he enlisted the help of his cousin, who dressed him up as a girl, and he transferred. By the way, the school he ended up attending was actually Seio Academy."

"What?" Yukari cried. "The cross-dresser attended our school?"

Mizuho felt as if he had been punched in the gut. They were already thinking of the boy in the story as a cross-dresser? What would they think when he revealed that he was actually the one in the story?

Then Mariya had to go and make it worse by saying, "I know, what a pervert."

"Mariya!" he scolded. He knew she was joking, but his cousin had a very bad habit of not knowing when to stop and taking her jokes way too far.

"So, what happened next?" Kana asked eagerly.

"Huh? Oh, right, the story. Well, the boy had been hoping to just finish school without standing out and just praying that he wouldn't get caught. He was _not_ a pervert," he glared at Mariya, who just grinned, "or a cross-dresser. He simply wanted to fulfill his grandfather's last wish, and not draw any attention to himself in the process. But that didn't happen. He actually ended up being elected as Elder."

"With 82% of the votes too," Shion couldn't resist adding, earning her a chuckle from Mariya and a glare from Mizuho.

"Wow, that's amazing," Kana muttered, having forgotten that this was the same percentage of votes Mizuho had received when he had been elected Elder.

"And no one found out he was really a boy?" Yukari inquired.

Mizuho's eyes darted to Shion. "Well, um, the previous year's Elder found out almost right away, and later on, the student council president found out as well, but they kept his secret. Also, a few faculty members had been made aware of the situation, so they helped him out too. But no, no one else ever found out."

He decided that now was the time. "But he was from a very rich and influential family, so he couldn't let this get out. So he took on his mother's maiden name while at school. His real family name was Kaburagi."

"Eh?!" the two girls cried again, instantly recognizing the name.

"You mean _thee_ Kaburagi family?" Yukari exclaimed.

Mizuho sweat-dropped. "Um… yeah. But the family name he went by when he attended Seio was Miyanokouji."

Yukari blinked. "Miyanokouji?"

"But…" Kana muttered, "that's the same last name as Big Sister Mi…zu…ho…"

The pieces of the puzzle began falling into place, and they stared at the boy sitting across from them in disbelief.

Mizuho smiled shyly and bowed to them in greeting. "My name is Mizuho Kaburagi. My mother was Sachiho Kaburagi, formerly Sachiho Miyanokouji before she got married. And I'm actually an only child."

The two girls continued starring at him while Shion and Mariya eagerly waited for their reactions.

"So, then…" Yukari began, "Big Sister Mizuho…"

"Is actually a boy…?" Kana finished.

At the same time, they pointed at Mizuho. "Then you're…"

Feeling a moment of panic, Mizuho began to wave his arms. "I didn't mean to deceive anyone! Everything that happened back at the academy was real, um, except for the fact that I'm really a boy! But the friendships we shared was real, and I-"

"Amazing!" Yukari and Kana chorused.

"Eh?" Mizuho muttered.

"Then Big Sister Mizuho was actually Big Brother Mizuho the whole time!" Yukari exclaimed. She looked at Mariya. "And Mariya was the cousin that helped make him a girl."

Mariya placed her finger on her chin, stuck out her tongue, and winked. "Guilty."

Kana looked thoughtful. "That must mean that the previous year's Elder and the student council that found out were Shion and Takako."

Shion gave a guilty chuckle. "Oh dear, it looks like I've been found out."

"Incredible," said Kana. "Big Sis… I mean Big Brother Mizuho must really be amazing to have done everything he did while trying to keep his secret."

Mizuho looked confused. "You mean… you're not angry that I lied?"

"Angry? No," Yukari replied. "Shocked, of course, and a little upset that you didn't confide in us, but not angry."

Kana nodded in agreement. "I'm not mad either. I don't think you're a pervert. You were just trying to fulfill grant your grandfather's final wish, and were just doing what you had to in order to do that. How can we be mad at you for that?"

Mizuho smiled nervously. "I-I didn't keep the truth from you because I didn't trust you or anything. Trust wasn't the issue. No one aside from Mariya and a few teachers were allowed to know. Things just happened and Shion and Takako just happened to discover my secret."

"What about Ichiko?" Yukari asked. "Did she ever find out?"

The girl in question was Ichiko Takashima, and she was actually a ghost in their dorm that had been sleeping for the past 22 years. Her spirit had lingered because she had been in love with Mizuho's mother and had wanted to see her one last time before she was married. She'd wanted it so much that after she died from an illness, her soul had remained earthbound.

After a few hiccups, they had all become good friends. Sadly, or happily, depending on how one looked at it, after graduation, Ichiko's spirit had ascended to Heaven, finally having found peace.

"Well, uh," Mizuho muttered, "yes, she knew, but only because Mariya exposed me since Ichiko would be staying with me and would most likely find out eventually."

Mariya stuck her tongue out at him.

"Aww, that's not fair!" Kana fumed. "That gave Ichiko an unfair advantage over us."

"It's also why she kept saying that she was going to be Mizuho's bride." Yukari realized.

Shion found the disappointed looks on their faces to be adorable, but decided to cheer them up a bit. "If it makes you feel any better, Ichiko's romantic feelings for Mizuho were actually for his mother that she was transferring onto him."

Mizuho cut his eyes at her. "You don't have to make her feelings sound so fickle."

Kana clapped her hands together. "But this is great! Since he's really a boy, that means that I can marry Mizuho properly!"

Mizuho's mouth dropped open. "Eh?"

Yukari invaded Kana's personal space. "Hey, Kana, that's not fair! I want to be Mizuho's bride!"

"Eh?!"

"No," Kana argued back, "the one to be Mizuho's bride is me!"

Mizuho looked back and forth between the two, feeling a sense of déjà vu. It was Ichiko and her determination to marry him all over again. Now it looked like it was going to be the same thing with Kana and Yukari. Just like with the little ghost, he loved both Kana and Yukari as if they really were his sisters. Clearly, their own feelings were different from his own.

Looking at Mariya and Shion, he saw that he wouldn't be receiving any help from them. Their amused expressions told him they were enjoying this too much. How was he going to tell the two quarrelling girls that he only thought of them as little sisters? What's more, how was he going to tell them that he already had a girlfriend?

**(A/N: Well, that actually turned out better than I thought it would. Maybe **_**because**_** it's so different from my usually writing style it turned out better since it required a lot more thinking on my part rather than the usual idea flow I normally get. Hmm, there might be something to that. But I'd like to hear what my readers think, especially you, cuz, since I wrote it for you. Oh, one more thing, cuz, if you review, please use my username instead of my real one. I'll be back next week with the next chapter.)**


	2. Chapter 2: The Walk Home

**(A/N: Ok, so not many hits. That's ok, one of them better be you though, cuz. I did get a Favorite though, so thank you, Tarathiel. Last chapter pretty much covered a recap of the series anyway. The main story starts now. So, lets see how it goes.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 2: The Walk Home**

Mizuho sighed as he made his way home. It was a major weight off his shoulders to no longer have to hide his identity, his very gender even, from his friends. And, truth be told, they had taken the news better than he had expected. He had thought they would have been angry at him for lying to them for so long, or maybe call him a pervert or a peeper; after all, he had been forced to get changed in the locker rooms with them for Phys. Ed.

They had been understandably shocked, of course, but also very accepting. They considered him to be brave for putting himself in such risky circumstances just to fulfill his grandfather's unusual final request. But even though there hadn't been any anger from them for his deceit, there was some rage for another reason. Yukari, at first, had been particularly distraught at having slept in the same bed with him, but then decided that it was ok "since it was Mizuho".

Shion and Mariya had been no help. His cousin had positively relished in his discomfort, and even made comments to make things worse, typical Mariya. And Shion had been enjoying the situation too much to say or do anything to help him out. What was it about them that they loved to see him squirm? Shion had said that his embarrassed face was cute, and Mariya… well, Mariya just loved watching anyone in an uncomfortable situation, and always knew which buttons to push to make things worse.

Speaking of his cousin, she was walking home beside him, and suddenly felt the need to slap him on the back, rather hard too. "Hey, what's with that face? I think it went well."

Mizuho just groaned. It _had_ gone well, but he was completely exhausted. Especially with the two younger girls fighting over which one of them was going to be his bride. Ichiko had been tiring enough, but having both Kana and Yukari arguing over him was even worse. Then Shion and Mariya had to go and get in on it, not wanting to be left out of the fun.

Although they were troublesome, it was still good to have people that cared for him so much. Mariya may be overzealous, but she was always there for him, Shion was a very dear friend, and was constantly supporting him, and Yukari and Kana were like little sisters eagerly looking for attention from their older sibling. He loved them all, and didn't know what he would do without them.

As a child, he hadn't really had any friends besides Mariya. Perhaps it was because he was always so unsure of himself and lacked confidence. Well, attending Seio Academy had certainly helped him get over his shyness and boost his self-esteem, even if it had been under very unusual circumstances. He now had real friends he could count on, and he would always be there for them as well.

"Hey, hey, did you hear about Chihaya?" Mariya asked suddenly.

Mizuho glanced at her. "Our cousin?" he asked, his thoughts shifting to the silver-haired boy who greatly rivaled, perhaps even surpassed, him in his androgynous appearance.

Mariya nodded. "His mother is thinking about making him attend Seio Academy if things don't get better."

"Eh? How come?"

His cousin chuckled. "He really needs to gain some confidence in himself, and since Seio did wonders for you, Aunt Taeko is thinking about giving it a try for him."

Mizuho thought about their younger cousin. Yes, Chihaya was having a very hard time at school due to his feminine looks. He'd also never gotten over his twin sister's death back when they were only ten, and his mother's unstable mentality certainly didn't make things any easier, nor did being on bad terms with his father.

But still, Seio Academy? Mizuho knew that he had been lucky to only get discovered by Shion and Takako. Could two boys really pull off attending the all-girls school without getting caught?

"Seems risky," he said. "I still can't believe that I made it through, and sending yet another boy there seems like we're really pushing out luck."

Mariya laughed evilly. "Oh, come on, think of how much fun we could have with this. We could have Chihaya completely at our mercy."

Mizuho just sighed. "He has a hard enough time as it is. Lets not make it worse for him. Besides, he could always expose me if we hang his identity over his head."

Mariya pouted. "Oooh, you're no fun." She cut her eyes at him. "But, you know, _I_ could always threaten to expose _you_ unless you do everything I say."

Mizuho sweat-dropped. "D-Don't joke around like that."

It wasn't like being exposed now could get him expelled since he had already graduated, but still, he didn't want it to be known that he'd been cross-dressing.

His cousin snickered, jumping in front of him. "Weeeeeell, maybe I can keep your secret if you treat me."

Before Mizuho could answer, his cell phone began ringing. He pulled it out and looked at it, smiling when he saw the name that had come up. "Hi, Takako."

Mariya visibly frowned in disappointment, but the look went by unnoticed by Mizuho. Looking away, she fell into step beside him as he spoke.

"Yes, they handled it well. They were understandably shocked at first, but they got over it."

Mariya humphed. If Takako was so concerned about Mizuho telling his secret, then she should have been here, no matter how busy her family was keeping her. Or maybe that wouldn't have been so good. If Takako had come along, then she and her would have been forced to tolerate each other's presence. It was no secret that they didn't get along.

Of all people Mizuho could be dating, why did it have to be Takako Itsukushima? Their families had rival companies for goodness sake. And besides, what was so great about Miss By-The-Books? She always put duty before fun.

"Huh?" Mizuho asked. "What'd they do? Well, they mostly argued over which one of them would be my bride."

He jumped and held the phone away from his ear as his girlfriend's outraged cry of _"What do you mean your bride?"_ came through.

Mizuho laughed nervously, carefully placing the phone against his ear again. "Y-You don't have to take it so seriously. You know I don't feel that way about them. They're like my little sisters."

Takako said something on the other end, and Mizuho laughed nervously again.

Mariya rested her head on Mizuho's shoulder and pulled the phone back so she could talk into it. "Jealousy is not becoming, Takako!" she sang.

Mizuho pulled the phone back. "Mariya!" He went back to his call. "Sorry about that. What? Oh, yes, that was Mariya. Um…" He looked at his cousin. "She asks how you are."

Mariya pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue. "Mmmmm!"

Mizuho sweat-dropped. "Uh… she said she's fine, and hopes you're doing well too… What? No, no, she really said that."

Mariya rolled her eyes. It was just like him to try and keep the peace between them. Ever since Takako had turned down the invitation to join the Track and Field Team, the very club Mariya was proud to be a member of, in favor of becoming the Student Council President, Mariya had made it her mission in life to make Takako as miserable and frustrated as possible. She loved Track and Field, and would not take Takako turning down the invitation to join sitting down. After she had worked so hard to join, Takako had simple been offered the position due to her natural skill, but turned it down. As far as Mariya was concerned, that was unforgiveable.

"Yeah, the others are doing fine too," Mizuho continued. "Shion? She seems healthy… I know, I wish you could have been there too… Of course we're still on for tonight."

Mariya scowled. The two of them were going out tonight? Great, just what she wanted to hear. It was bad enough knowing that they were dating while at school, now she had to actually hear about it.

Back when Mizuho was still pretending to be a girl, he and Takako had been more careful and secretive about their romantic interludes in order to avoid risking Mizuho's real gender being discovered. But now that he no longer had to pretend to be something he wasn't, they were under no such restrictions.

Or were they? After all, the companies run by the Kaburagi family and the Itsukushima family were each other's biggest business rivals. And there were also several rumors that Takako's family was rather sleazy and shady, willing to do some pretty despicable things to pull ahead. Surely someone as despicable as the head of the Ituskushima family wouldn't allow his daughter to become serious with the son of his biggest competitor. Or so Mariya could hope.

"Ok, so I'll see you at 5:00 then?" Mizuho asked. "Sounds good. I'll see you then… Ok, bye."

He hung up and put the phone away. The smile on his face made Mariya sick to know that it was Takako who was the one that put it there. True, she may have made peace with that woman over the whole Tack and Field dispute, but competing for Mizuho's heart was another matter entirely.

It had been a startling revelation for Mariya to realize she was actually in love with him. She wasn't even sure when it had happened, only that one day it had. And as selfish as it sounded, she didn't want Mizuho to have anyone else beside her. For so long, he had depended on her, but during his time at Seio Academy, he had made friends and learned to stand on his own two feet.

Yes, it was selfish, but Mariya only wanted Mizuho to be kind to her, to only look at and depend on her. She wanted to be his one and only, and hated the fact that she wasn't his sole focus anymore, even if it was merely his friends gaining his attention. He now had other people he could relate to, and had confidence in himself. Though that was indeed good for him, Mariya realized that it wasn't what she wanted, and she couldn't help but feel like a horrible person for her selfish thoughts.

She may not like it, but she could tolerate Mizuho having others in his life beside her. Yet what she really wanted was for Mizuho to look at her, not as a cousin or a friend, but as a woman, and to return the feelings she had for him. Or at the very least she wished he would choose someone other than Takako. She couldn't stand the thought of her rival beating her in the fight for Mizuho's heart. If he wouldn't pick her, then Mariya wished he would at least pick someone like Shion, or even Yukari or Kana once they grew up.

"So," she muttered, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice, "big plans with your _girlfriend_?"

Mizuho didn't miss the tone in her voice when she said 'girlfriend', but he chose to ignore it. "It's just a date."

She cut her eyes at him. "Like the one we went on?"

At her harsh tone, he gave her a curious look. "Is everything all right?"

"Just fine!" she snapped. "I just don't see why you would go out with her of all people."

He blinked. "Huh? Why? Well, why would any two people go out with each other?"

"But she's the daughter of the head of the Itsukushima family! Your family's company is rivals with hers."

He just shrugged. "That has nothing to do with us. I don't see why it should matter."

"Ahhh!" Mariya grumbled in frustration. "Surely you must have heard the rumors of the way the Itsukushima family does things. They're completely despicable!"

But Mizuho just waved this off. "We don't know if any of those things are true. Rumors get embellished, even made up, all the time. And even if they were true, Takako is nothing like that. She's a good person."

Mariya puffed out her cheeks irritably. "Even rumors have a glimmer of truth. Why else would Takako have asked you to 'save' Shion from her brother?"

Mizuho just smirked. "If her brother really was that bad, then the fact that Takako asked me to save Shion from him only proves that she's a good person."

"Maybe so," Mariya reluctantly admitted, "but what about her family?"

This too Mizuho simply shrugged off. "I'm sure they're not that bad."

**(A/N: So, this chapter pretty much reflected Mariya's inner thoughts, mostly about Mizuho's relationship with Takako, which she obviously does not approve of, but there will be more on that in later chapters. If anyone was confused by that last bit of commentary, it's supposedly from the game. According to **_**Wikipedia**_**, if you take the "Shion Route", it is revealed that it has been arranged for Shion to marry Takako's brother. Apparently, her brother is a horrible person, so Takako asks Mizuho to save Shion from her brother. Don't know if you've ever played that route, cuz, but that's all the info I got on that, but I decided to mention it in the story. Any game info you could provide me would be appreciated to help me with this fic; I am writing it for you after all. Anyone else that's reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, look forward to next week's.)**


	3. Chapter 3: The Itsukushima Family

**(A/N: ****Thanks for the input, Tarathiel. I guess my story will be diverging from that last part though. If you know them, could you give me a brief summary of the other "routes" like you did with Shion's? _Wikipedia_ and other websites I looked at didn't give any info on the endings, just how to get there, and my cousin only ever played two, so that doesn't give me much to use {come on, cuz, you wanted this story, work with me here}. So, a****s you can probably tell from the chapter title, this chapter is about Takako and her family. The anime didn't and manga didn't reveal it, but apparently the game indicates that she hates her family, and with good reason too. So this is kind of how I envisioned her relationship with her family.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 3: The Itsukushima Family**

Takako Itsukushima hung up the phone, holding it close to her heart as a feeling of giddiness overcame her at having heard Mizuho's voice. She never considered herself to be the silly, giggling schoolgirl type of person, but she supposed that's what being in love did to a person.

She really looked forward to their date tonight. Not just because she would get to be with Mizuho, but because she really needed a break from her workload. But then her life had always like this. She had grown up in a very strict household. Her parents were harsh and judgmental, and she was always expected to be the perfect hardworking daughter.

Being in the Itsukushima family was not easy, and, not for the first time, Takako wondered what it would be like to have been born into another family. While other kids had spent their childhood playing and making friends, Takako had been studying and withstanding harsh lessons.

Yet it seemed that nothing she ever did pleased her parents. She always got good grades, excelled just as well athletically as she did academically, received numerous honors and awards, and worked hard on various extracurricular activities, but nothing was ever good enough for them.

She shook her head, trying to put such morbid thoughts aside. She wouldn't let anything ruin her date with Mizuho, especially her family. Being with him was one of the few things that made her truly happy, even if he did have an annoying cousin who seemed to try and make her life miserable at every turn.

Takako sighed. She wondered how different her relationship with Mariya would be if she had decided to join the Track and Field Team after all rather than remain the Student Council President. She'd wanted to be on the team, really she did, but she couldn't handle it and all her presidential duties. The stress and workload of both activities was literally making her sick, and she realized that she would have to give up one. And, being the dutiful and responsible daughter she was, she had chosen to give up Track and Field. Being the Student Council President would be much more beneficial for her in the future.

Well, there was really no helping it. If Mariya wanted to hold a grudge against her for her decision, then there was nothing she could do about it. Mariya was just too stubborn, and when she made up her mind about something, there was no talking her out of it. She just hoped it wouldn't affect her relationship with Mizuho.

Getting off the bed, she went to her closet and began looking for something suitable to wear for her date tonight. She pulled various outfits off the racks and held them beneath her chin as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She wondered which one Mizuho would like on her the best, then blushed at the thought of it.

This was so unlike her. She was actually gushing over the thought of her date with Mizuho. It was very out of character for her. All her life, she had tried to put up a cold, serious, and business-like exterior because she thought it was expected of her. Well, it _was_ what her family expected of her, always demanding that she behave maturely and responsibly. Not that she thought being mature and responsible was a bad thing, but she had missed out on the joys of childhood and adolescence from the demands her family set. But now she actually found herself feeling happy and enjoying life more than she ever had before.

A cold chuckle came from behind her, followed by a mocking voice. "My, my, sister, look at you, behaving like a love sick schoolgirl."

Takako tensed up and turned to the door to see her older brother, Kazutaka, leaning against the doorframe with that arrogant look on his face that she hated so much.

"Kazutaka, get out of my room!" she snapped.

Smirking, he did the opposite, walking right into her room and right up to her, getting far too close for comfort.

"Or what?" he demanded.

Takako resisted the urge to take a step back. Her brother was indeed very intimidating. He was very handsome, and he knew it, using his good looks to go about his womanizing ways. His hair color was darker and redder than hers, growing in all directions in a messy look. His bangs hung in front of his eyes that held a great deal of hidden cruelty.

Takako swallowed, trying to hide how intimidated she felt. "My door was closed."

"And I opened it," he replied simply. "You should really lock it if you don't want anyone to come in."

Unwilling to back away, but also not wanting to be close to him any longer, she ducked beneath his arm. "Well, what do you want?"

He chuckled. "Can't a big brother check on his baby sister every now and then?"

"What do you want?" she repeated more hotly.

Kazutaka smugly smoothed his hair back. "Well, I intended to remind you of the important family meeting Father wanted to have tonight; it concerns you after all."

Takako frowned. "I remember." And she certainly wasn't looking forward to it. Their father would always neglect them unless he wanted something from them. And since this meeting was going to be about her, then he obviously wanted her to do something.

She hoped it would just be about her enrollment at Shōyō University. She was really looking forward to going. She could also stay in a dorm there and not have to come home to her family during the year. As a bonus, Mizuho and Shion were going as well, having also passed the entrance exams. She was glad she would be with them, though she never did hear what Mariya intended to do.

Kazutaka casually came up behind her. "As I said, reminding you had been my initial intent, but now I'm curious as to what you're doing."

She didn't even bother to look at him. "Is it not obvious? I'm going out."

He chuckled. "Is that so? With a boy? Is it a date?"

An uneasy chill ran up Takako's spin, but she pretended she didn't feel it. "That doesn't concern you."

His eyes lit up. "Well, well, little Takako actually has a date. I wonder if Father would approve."

That was an easy one. No, their father would most definitely _not_ approve, especially if he found out who it was she was seeing. "What's wrong with that? So what if I'm seeing a boy? You go out on dates all the time, and Father has an abundant of mistresses."

It was true. Her rotten brother was very skilled in the art of seduction. He was a total player that broke the hearts of many women, viewing them as mere conquests and sex objects for him to discard once he'd had his fill of them. And their father, he had several mistresses that he used for his own entertainment. This had made their already cold-hearted mother even more bitter than she already had been.

There was no way to sugarcoat it. Takako hated her family. There was no love between any of them. They were all a bunch of cruel, manipulative, and petty jerks, and they completely disgusted her. Her parents both neglected their home life for their own ambitions, and her brother was the worst of them.

She knew she could never be like them. At most, she was a stickler for the rules, and would put up a cold front in front of others. In all actuality, she greatly lacked confidence in herself and her abilities, but was forced to keep up appearances, and she _hated_ it.

Kazutaka picked up one of the dresses she had set aside and examined it. "I'm just curious. Is it a boy from an influential family? Are you planning on spreading your legs to get in his good grace?"

Furious, Takako whirled around and snatched the dress out of his hands. "Shut up! I'm nothing like Mother! I would never do that to Mi…"

She trailed off, unwilling to speak Mizuho's name in her brother's presence. It would be very troublesome if he made the connection between Mizuho and his family.

Kazutaka raised an eyebrow. "Mi? Mi what? Do you not want me to know his name?"

"Just shut up and get out! I told you it has nothing to do with you! Who I see is my business!"

She turned her back on him and suddenly found herself pinned against the wall. She cried out as Kazutaka's fingers gripped her hair, pulling it back painfully.

"Has nothing to do with me?" he repeated, tightening his grip. "That's where you're wrong, baby sister. After all, I mean to pay you back for sabotaging my engagement to the lovely Shion Jujo."

She felt a brief moment of panic, but quickly denied his words. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

He chuckled. "Oh, I think you do. I still don't know how you did it, and I may not have any proof, but I know you were behind it."

Blinking back tears as the pain in her head increased from his grip, she did her best to appear innocent. Yet what he said was true. The Jujo family was once an aristocratic family, and her father had somehow managed to arrange an engagement between her brother and Shion in order to enhance the Itsukushima family's standing.

Takako couldn't stand for it. She really admired and respected Shion as both a person and a friend. Her brother was such a horrible person, as was the rest of her family, and she didn't want to see Shion fall prey to them and their schemes. She therefore enlisted in Mizuho's help to break off the engagement and save Shion from the Itsukushima family.

The plan had been successful, and the engagement was cancelled, but Kazutaka always suspected that Takako had something to do with it.

"Or maybe," she grumbled, "the Jujo family simply found out how terrible you are and decided that they didn't want their daughter to associate with such a lowlife, let alone marry one."

He chuckled and let her go. "You don't fool me, sis. I know you were involved. I'm not too upset about it though, but Father certainly was. My only regret is that I wasn't able to sample Miss Jujo's goods." He crudely licked his lips to emphasize his meaning. "But I suppose I can still convince her to share my bed."

Takako glared at him. "You're a pig, and Shion is far too perceptive to be fooled by the likes of you."

He just held up his hands as if he didn't care. "What a shame, she was such a beauty too. But then, so was the recent Elder Sister at your school. I heard that even the girls were falling for her."

Heat flooded Takako's face and she looked away to hide her blush. He was talking about Mizuho! She couldn't deny the truth of his words though; many of the girls had fallen for him, even without knowing his real gender. She was one of them!

It had been a very confusing time for her. She didn't like girls _that_ way. She may have seen them as beautiful and could understand the attraction, but she had never found any attractive herself. That is, except for when it came to Mizuho. Her feelings for him, or 'her' as she believed him to be at the time, had made her very confused about her sexual preference.

By the time she had come to terms with her feelings, she had decided that it was an _'If It's You, It's Ok'_ scenario, only to find out that Mizuho was a boy all along. Not only did this confuse her further and require her to reexamine her feelings once again, she had also been hurt that he lied to her, and was upset about the things that had happened between them while believing he was female. The fact that he was a male had meant that a boy had seen her in her underwear, and even stolen her first kiss too!

Her sense of responsibility and duty as the Student Council President had kicked in as well. While she realized she had feelings for him, nor did she think he was a bad person, and even though he had saved her from getting kidnapped, he was still a boy pretending to be a girl at an all-girls school. He'd even gotten changed in the locker rooms with the other girls! Deciding what to do about her discovery had left her greatly conflicted.

She wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. It was, surprisingly, Mariya that had convinced her to keep his secret long enough to receive a proper explanation. She supposed she really owed Mariya for that one, even if the girl had been harassing her for years. Now she could happily say that she was glad that she didn't expose him.

Her brother's next words broke her out of her thoughts. "How about you introduce me to your school's famous Elder Sister? I'm sure she and I would really enjoy each other's company. What do you say, sis? If you hook me up, I'll let you in on a little secret."

Takako momentarily enjoyed the thought of how her brother would react if he found out he wanted to hook up with another guy. Of course, she would never reveal Mizuho's secret, least of all to her family. They already had a cover story if any of the other girls at Seio Academy asked about him.

"Well, too bad for you," she told him smugly, "because she's gone to study abroad. You won't be able to get your grubby hands on her."

She felt satisfied that she had one-upped her brother, and wouldn't let that ever present smirk on his face ruin her good feeling.

Kazutaka sighed. "That's too bad. I guess you'll just have to wait until tonight for the surprise."

"Ha!" she scoffed. "As if you would have really told me anyway. You would have either lied to me or told me just enough to make me squirm. I know you too well, brother."

She intended to put him out of mind for now, but his choice of words suddenly registered to her. "Wait, what surprise?"

Kazutaka covered his mouth in a deliberate false attempt to make it look as if he had accidentally let something slip. "Oops, I've said too much. But don't worry, you'll find out tonight, sister dear."

He made to leave. Takako watched him suspiciously, reluctantly admitting that he had indeed sparked her interest, but unwilling to play into his hands. Instead, she turned her back on him and went back to picking out an outfit for tonight.

"Oh, and sis," Kazutaka drawled as he lingered in the doorway. "I wouldn't get too attached to that boy you're seeing tonight if I were you." He smirked, letting her sit with that bit of information. "See you tonight."

He left, closing the door behind him, leaving Takako to wonder what he meant.

**(A/N: So, yeah, this chapter focused mostly on Takako and her past. I had to improvise a lot on her family. Any information I found about them simply states that they're horrible people, so I worked with that concept. I hope the part with Kazutaka getting rough with Takako didn't come across as incestuous; that hadn't been my intent. And, cuz, if you don't know what incestuous means, don't bother asking me, cause I'm not telling you.)**


	4. Chapter 4: The Date and the Announcement

**(A/N: ****Thank you so much Tarathiel, that was hugely helpful. I had a general idea of things, but the confirmation and extra info will be useful. Now, for this chapter****, we have some songs at the beginning. These songs are the different themes from the anime and the games; I thought it'd be cute to have them thrown in there like that. Surprisingly, _"Beautiful Day"_, the ending theme for the anime, has become one of my favorite anime songs. Who knew?)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 4: The Date and the Announcement**

The song came to an end, and Mariya immediately demanded, "Another one!"

Shion, Yukari, and Kana sat on the cushioned seats of the karaoke booth. Shion had an amused look on her face while the two younger girls were smiling nervously.

"Um, Mariya," Yukari ventured, "could you let one of us sing next?"

Mariya gave her a dazed glare. "No way! I'm still singing!"

Earlier, when Mizuho had left for his date with Takako, Mariya had called the three girls and demanded that they all go sing karaoke with her. Each of the others had only gotten to sing one song each before Mariya had seized the microphone, hogging it to herself. So far, she had sung _"Love Power"_, _"Beautiful Day"_, _"Again"_, _"Dear Feelings"_, _"Whisper of Goodbye"_, _"Maiden's Rest"_, _"Underhanded Girl"_, _"Into the Hidamari"_, _"Crystal Wish"_, _"The Hesitation, Softly"_, _"As In the Yuku Move Flower"_, and had just finished with _"Remains of Kimi"_ without showing any intention of stopping or sharing.

Grabbing her drink, she gulped down its contents. Shion knew that Mariya had been ordering alcoholic drinks, and had already had quite a few. She already had a dazed look in her eyes and a drunken flush in her cheeks. She found Drunk-Mariya to be rather adorable.

"But you already sang 12 songs in a row," Kana complained.

Mariya slammed her drink down. "Yeah, well, you can sing when I'm done!"

"Eh? But our time will run out!"

"Tooooo bad, 'cause I'm gonna sing alllllllll night long!"

Shion chuckled. "She's just singing out her jealously. She doesn't like the fact that Mizuho is out on a date with Takako."

Mariya sat back and began kicking her legs. "But it's not fair!" she cried, her voice rising to a whine. "Mizuho should love me! I'm the one who's always been there for him!"

"Love doesn't work like that. You can't choose who you fall in love with, and it doesn't happen out of a sense of duty or obligation."

"But I'm soooooo much better than her! I'm awesome!"

We're jealous too," Yukari told her. "But it can't be helped."

"Yes, yes," Kana agreed.

Mariya hiccupped. "Maybe I should just sneak into his bed while he's sleeping.

"Ehhhhh?!" the two younger girls exclaimed as Shion chuckled.

"M-Mariya, you can't do that!" Kana cried.

Mariya sighed. "Yeah, I know." She snatched up the microphone. "That's why I'm gonna siiiiiiing my heart out until I forget about stupid Mizuho. He's an idiot, idiot, idioooooot! Now start the next song! And get me another drink!"

Yukari eyed Mariya's empty glass. "You sure like those drinks, Mariya. You've had quite a few. Should I try one?"

Smiling in amusement, Shion patted the girl's head. "Maybe when you're older."

Mariya gave her the evil eye. "Yeah, little girls that drink this get taken away by the liquor monster."

The color drained from Yukari's face. "Eh? No, I don't want that!"

"There, there," Shion consoled her as Mariya laughed evilly. "The liquor monster won't get you if you're a good girl."

As the next song started, Shion's smile faltered slightly. She knew her friend was nursing a broken heart, made all the worse by the fact that she had lost to her own handpicked rival. But she would get over it in time.

With Mariya singing and Kana attempting to convince the traumatized Yukari that there was no such thing as the liquor monster and Mariya had just made it up, Shion's thoughts turned to Mizuho and Takako, wondering how their date was going.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Mizuho had offered to pick Takako up from her home, but she had shot down that idea. For reasons Mizuho didn't understand, she didn't want her family to know that they were dating, or even have him anywhere near them. He couldn't figure out why. So what if they're families owned rival companies. It shouldn't have mattered. After all, it wasn't like they were the Capulet and Montague families, or the Kouga and the Iga clans. Her family should have just been happy that she was happy. When his own father had found out he was dating Takako, he'd simply warned him to be careful due to the rumors surrounding the Itsukushima family.

But Takako didn't like talking about her family, so Mizuho wouldn't bring it up; she would tell him when she was ready. Instead, they agreed on a place to meet, and then spent some time walking around the city. She told him that she had to cut their date short tonight due to an important meeting she had with her family, but Mizuho was just glad to be able to spend time with her. With post-graduation plans, along with applying to and passing the exams to Shōyō University, they hadn't had much time for each other recently.

Takako had said that she was in the mood for ramen, and Mizuho had told her he knew of a noodle shop that served excellent ramen. He'd mentioned that it was just a simple restaurant, but Takako didn't care, and so they made their way towards it.

"Oh, look!" Takako suddenly cried, and rushed ahead. When Mizuho caught up with her, she was pressed against the glass window of a dress shop. "How beautiful!"

A gorgeous wedding dress was on display in the window with a bridesmaid's dress on both the left and right side of it, one in pink, the other in turquoise. Mizuho couldn't help but chuckle at the look on Takako's face as she admired the dresses, especially the wedding dress in the middle.

"I want to wear a dress like this one on my wedding day," she said dreamily.

Smiling, Mizuho gently placed his hands on her shoulders and walked her back a few steps so that her reflection in the glass appeared to be wearing the dress.

"You would make a very beautiful bride, Takako," he told her.

She looked at him with eyes shining with love. "Mizuho…" The look in her eyes suddenly became playful. "I bet _you_ would make an even more beautiful bride."

He chuckled. "I've had enough of cross-dressing, thank you. Mariya used to force me to dress in girls clothes when we were kids."

That was not difficult to picture. "But did she ever make you wear a wedding dress?"

He shook his head. "No, but she did dress me all in white and pretend I was a bride." His eyes lit up in remembrance. "Speaking of brides, did you hear that my father is getting remarried?"

She gave him a surprised look. "Really? That's great! Who's the lucky girl?"

"Oh, I don't think you'd know her. She's a maid in our household."

The smile on Takako's face faltered. "A maid?"

He nodded. "Yeah, her name's Kaede Orikura. Interestingly, I recently found out that she was raised in the same orphanage as Kana." He noticed the look on her face. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. It's just that… well, are you sure that's fine?"

Mizuho blinked, not understanding. "Why wouldn't it be? My father and I don't mind if she's a maid. Love is what matters."

"That's not what I mean. Don't you find it fishy? Your father is marrying a maid in your house. What if she's just a gold-digger that seduced him for his power and money?"

Mizuho gave her a look, clearly not having considered this, then shook his head. "No, Kaede isn't like that. She's very nice, and has really done a lot for out family. Father's been sad and lonely for a really long time since Mother died. Kaede really makes him happy."

"But…" she tried to find the right words to express her concern, "but it could still be a trick. There are a lot of people like that out there that are only after money."

She knew this from personal experience. The mistrust she felt came from what she had seen in her own family. Hadn't they sabotaged Shion's engagement to her brother for that very reason? She didn't want Mizuho or his father to fall prey to such a person.

He just shook his head again. "There's nothing to worry about. Kaede is a really good person. She's been with us for 15 years now. Ever since Mother died, she's been acting as my foster mother. And if you saw the way they looked at each other, even when they think no one is looking, you wouldn't doubt their feelings for each other."

Takako suddenly felt ashamed for her suspicions and looked away. "Well, as long as you're sure."

Her voice cracked towards the end, and Mizuho gave her a look of concern. "Takako, what's the matter?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around. She looked at him with eyes full of tears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You must think I'm a horrible person."

He reached up and wiped away her tears. "Of course I don't think you're a horrible person. Why would you say that?"

She wiped her eyes furiously. "I don't mean to be suspicious. It's just that…" she hesitated a moment, "my family is always trying such underhanded tricks to get ahead, and they're not above doing shady things and using others. They also taught me never to trust anyone, because people always want something from you. I know that's not always true, but after hearing it about it and watching my family do it all my life, it's made it hard for me to trust others. Even with everything you did at Seio Academy, I still questioned your motives. I wasn't sure if you were my enemy or ally. My family never did anything nice for anyone unless they would benefit from it. And then suddenly hearing that your father was going to marry one of his maids, I thought-"

Mizuho enveloped her a tight hug, holding her close. Takako was surprised, but slowly sank into his embrace.

"I don't think you're a horrible person at all," he told her. "You've seen a lot of the bad parts of society; it only makes sense that you would expect the worst. And you're not the only one that would be suspicious in a case like this. A lot of people would suspect Kaede of foul play. Like them, you didn't understand the circumstances. Kaede knows that people will ridicule her and think she's only after my family's fortune, but she said she doesn't care, and is willing to face anything that comes."

He broke the embrace and gave her a smile. "If anything, I should be happy that you care so much for the welfare of my family."

She blushed. "How could I not? I love you, Mizuho. I really envy the bond you share with your family."

He rested his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Takako. And I'm sure your family loves you as well. Even if things are hard, you've got to hang onto the good times in life; it's what helps us get through the bad."

Takako knew he was trying to make her feel better, but he really didn't know her family. Even so, he decided to let it go, unwilling to let thoughts of them ruin their time together.

He kissed her temple and gave her a smile. "Come on, let's get you fed."

Takako chuckled and allowed him to lead her away.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Yes it was cheesy, yes it was cliché, but she was going to say it anyway. She was on cloud nine. Aside from the moment in front of the dress shop, she'd had a wonderful time on her date with Mizuho. The dinner had been simple, but was indeed very good. It wouldn't have mattered though even if it had been horrible, as long as she was with him, she was happy.

The only thing that dampened her mood was the fact that she had lost track of time and was now late for the meeting with her parents. It was not a good thing to keep them waiting.

She'd actually gotten a call on her cellphone from her brother, who said she had better stop, in so many words, "pleasing" her boy toy and get home before their father sent their people out for her, and he would too.

Getting dragged home did not appeal to Takako, so she regretfully had to end her date with Mizuho. He had wanted to walk her home, but she had insisted on going on her own. They eventually compromised, and he waked her halfway there.

Once inside, the servants had directed her to her father's office. Takako wasn't surprised since he always seemed to be working. That may have been honorable had he not been doing sleazy business. Takako most certainly did not approve of this, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Entering her father's office, she found him sitting at his desk. Her mother was not there, but that didn't surprise her. Kazutaka was present though, slouching in his seat with a glass of wine and an arrogant smirk on his face that told her that he knew something she didn't.

Ignoring him, she walked up to her father's desk and bowed to him respectfully. "Father."

Soichiro Itsukushima didn't even look at her. He was a tall man, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties, with a few streak of gray running through his brown hair. A mustache rested above his lips that seemed permanently set in a disapproving frown.

He finally set down his pen and looked up at her with cold calculating eyes. "You're late. Sit down."

She did her best to try not to wince at his tone. Forgive me," she said, taking a seat beside her brother, "I lost track of time."

Kazutaka chuckled and muttered, "I'll bet."

Their father ignored him. "There are no excuses. You are expected to be punctual, and you are to meet those expectations."

Takako closed her eyes shamefully. "Yes, Father. It won't happen again."

Mr. Itsukushima said nothing more of it. Instead, he reached into a drawer and took out a file, placing it on the desk for her to see.

"As you know," he told her, "we attempted to join our family with the Jujo family by having Kazutaka and their daughter wed, but the engagement was cancelled."

"I can't imagine why," Kazutaka replied, taking a sip of his wine as his eyes burned into the back of his sister's head.

Takako did her best to remain stoic and not look at her brother, but she could still feel him watching her. "Yes, I know."

"Therefore," their father continued, "we've had to advance our plans a bit to make up for it."

He pushed the file towards her. Takako hesitantly took it. Opening the folder, she saw it contained information on a boy named Kenichi Tsubata. According to the file, he was a year older than her, and was the first son of the Tsubata family. She recognized the family name; the Tsubatas were another rich and influential family. Not as much as the Kaburagi or the Jujo families, but still rather well off.

There was a picture too. She decided that he was handsome, with black hair and dark blue eyes. He was smiling in the picture, but both his smile and his eyes looked tired. He didn't look like a bad person, but appearances could be deceiving; her brother was a prime example of that.

Wondering why he was showing her this, she gave her father a curious look. "What's this?"

"That," her father replied, "is Kenichi Tsubata, the successor to the Tsubata family estate. He's your fiancé."

It was a theme common in books and movies for, when a person heard or saw something so surprising, the shock would cause them to drop whatever it was they were holding. Takako had always thought that that was just something the media used to indicate shock; she didn't think it could actually happen. That was no longer the case as she felt the file fall from her hands, spilling papers out across the floor.

Takako found herself trying to say something, but her voice wasn't cooperating. The only thing she managed to get out was a quiet, "What?"

If Mr. Itsukushima even noticed his daughter's shock, he paid it no mind. "I said he is your fiancé. I've arranged it with the head of the Tsubata family. The two of you will be wed in two months time."

A sinister snicker escaped Kazutaka. "Congratulations, sister dear."

Fear, anger, and desperation hit Takako all at once, and she jumped to her feet. "Fiancé? But, Father, I can't get married!"

He raised an eyebrow at her behavior. "You most certainly can. You are 18 now and of marrying age. Kenichi is a fine young man from a rich and well influential family. Marrying him will be of great benefit for us."

With the beginning of hyperventilation threatening to overcome her, Takako did her best to calm her racing heart. "No, I mean that I can't marry _him_. I don't love him. I don't even _know_ him."

Kazutaka snickered at this while her father gave her a disapproving frown. "You will meet him ahead of time, and I expect you to make a good impression with him and his family. Anything more you wish to know about him you can learn later."

"Yes," her brother agreed, "you'll get to know him _very_ well, little sister. Very intimately in fact." His mocking grin widened. "Or remain strangers if you wish. You don't need to know someone in order to bed them."

Takako opened her mouth to call him a pig, but her father cut her off. "As for love, you should know better. There need not be any love in order for you to wed him. Love is for the lower class citizens, not for elite member of society like us. Love is only a distraction; you're better off without it."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses or complaints. It has already been decided. Marriage is a business arrangement for people in our position, nothing more, and this is an excellent opportunity for us. You _will_ marry the Tsubata boy, and I don't want to hear a word of protest from you. Is that understood?"

"Father, please-"

"Is that understood?"

His threatening tone silenced Takako, and she realized with a feeling of despair that there would be no talking her father out of this. Her mother had undoubtedly approved of his decision and would be of no help to her. And as for her brother, he was simply enjoying this! No wonder he had been in such a good mood. He'd been itching to see her squirm.

Truthfully, she didn't know why this surprised her so much. Deep down, she had known this was coming for years. She'd always been nothing more than a bargaining chip to them. From the moment of her birth, they'd probably been planning on marrying her off to some rich or influential family. Now the time had finally come, and she knew there would be no getting out of this.

Unsuccessfully fighting back tears and trying to keep her bottom lip from quivering, she bowed respectfully. "Whatever you say, Father."

As she turned to leave, she heard her brother whisper to her, "I told you not to get attached to that boy."

His cruel words followed her all the way back to her room.

**(A/N: Well, I said there would be an arranged marriage. It's rather cliché, I know, but the series had a lot of clichés in it anyway. And if you haven't figured it out yet, the main pairing for this story is Mizuho/Takako. Sorry, cuz, I know you liked Mizuho/Shion, but they didn't come across as romantic interests to me, just really good friends. Besides, I like Mizuho/Takako better anyway, and even though I'm writing this for you, it's still my story. In any case, aside from the different "routes" available in the game, all other media, anime, manga, books, games, and sequels all use the "Takako Route" anyway, so those two are the real canon couple of the series. But now there's a big problem, and when word gets out, you can bet that Mizuho's other love interests are going to pounce on it. Oh, and speaking of marriages, the one with Mizuho's father and the maid is something that, I'm guessing, was in the game since it wasn't mentioned in either the anime or manga, but I thought it was a good way to show some more of what Takako's family is like through her reaction, so that's why I mentioned it. Again, I don't know to what extent her family actually is cruel in the games, so I improvised.)**


	5. Chapter 5: Meetings

**(A/N: Ok, for the first part of this chapter, I decided to explore how the characters relate to each other. Well, one person really. I tried to be insightful about certain things that happened in the series between them, and explore their thoughts and feelings in regards to them. The second part, well, you'll see why I gave the chapter title this name. Oh, and cuz, you don't have to send private messages. It's ok to review, just don't mention my real name. Thanks though.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 5: Meetings**

Mizuho didn't know what was bothering Takako, and whenever he asked, she would just tell him it was nothing important. At first he had taken her word for it, but after two weeks, he became concerned.

He just couldn't figure out why she seemed to be depressed all the time. She rarely smiled anymore, and he even saw tears creep up in hers eyes every now and then. He wanted to help, but she refused to tell him what it was that was bothering her, and would continue to put on an act of false cheerfulness.

"How can I help her if she won't tell me what's wrong?" he asked of Shion and Mariya.

The black haired girl seriously considered this. From what she knew of Takako, the girl always tried to be serious and put on a brave and stoic front. If whatever was bothering her managed to break through her mask, it must be serious.

"Maybe it's a family issue," she suggested. "She could be having problems at home. We all know she doesn't get along with her family, nor does she like to talk about them. That could be why she hasn't told you anything."

Mizuho considered this. It had occurred to him that it could indeed be a domestic problem, and Shion was right about her not liking to talk about her family. But that didn't help him with the problem.

Mariya humphed. "Well, whatever it is, she probably deserves it."

Shion's hand covered her mouth in false surprise. "Oh my."

Mizuho frowned. He'd heard his cousin badmouth Takako all the time, but with the way things were, he just couldn't let things slide anymore. "Mariya, why do you always try and make Takako out to be the bad guy?"

"Because she is!" Mariya insisted. "If our time at Seio Academy were a game, manga, or anime, and you were the protagonist, she would be listed as the antagonist."

Shion casually shook her finger. "An antagonist and a villain are not the same thing. Simply being an opposing sports team from a story's main character's team would be considered the antagonists. The antagonist doesn't have to be bad, they just oppose the protagonist."

"And she did!" Mariya reminded them. "She kept getting in our way! She kept targeting us and trying to get us in trouble!"

Mizuho blinked. Clearly, Mariya remembered things very differently than how they actually happened. "That's not true. She just had different standards than us as to what she thought was acceptable behavior. She was trying to do everything she could for the school, and from her point of view, _we_ were the ones in the wrong whenever she opposed us. And, technically, she was right at times."

Mariya slammed her hands on the table and stood up. "How can you say that? She always had it in for us! Remember when you were elected as Elder, she said that she would never accept it, then told the whole school that you wouldn't be suitable for the position and to reconsider their votes because she wanted the title. And then there's the time she tried to get you in trouble for not swimming during P.E. class. And lets not forget about the time she went after Kana and tried to get her to get rid of her ribbon that meant so much to her simply because you and Kana were friends. She also would have revealed your identity to the whole school if I hadn't said anything to her. How can you possibly say she didn't have it in for us after all that?"

She stopped her rant, breathing heavily. Both Mizuho and Shion stared at her with blank expressions before exchanging bewildered looks. As Mariya sat down, the latter began to chuckle.

"My, my, someone is jealous," she teased.

Mariya glared at her. "It's not jealousy, I'm just reminding you of everything she did."

Mizuho gave her a sad look. "Mariya, your claims are unjustifiable, and you know they're unjustifiable."

"What? You're still going to defend her? After all that?"

Mizuho nodded. "She did do those things," he agreed, "but none of it was done out of malice, and deep down you know it, even if you want to believe otherwise. Takako has a strong sense of duty and responsibility; you know that. She was doing what she, as the Student Council President, felt was right. When I was elected Elder, since I had just transferred in, she didn't think a new transfer student would be up to the position and be able to handle all the responsibilities and follow all the traditions. She felt the students treated the election as a popularity contest rather than what it should be, so yes, she opposed it."

"Because she would have gotten the position by default if you had been disqualified," his cousin insisted.

Mizuho shook his head. "That was not a contributing factor for her decision. Yes, she would have gotten the position, but that wasn't why she opposed the vote. She wanted what was best for the school, and didn't think a transfer student was up to the task. I can actually understand where she was coming from too, especially after the shady way you and the others spread all those stories and rumors around the school about me to try and win me votes."

Shion nodded. "That's true, and Takako never did anything out of her normal routine to try and get people to vote for her. Had anyone else been in the running, the default never would have fallen to Takako. She would have became Elder simply because she was the Student Council President."

"And," Mizuho added, "she changed her mind about me being Elder after Shion's speech."

Mariya humphed again. "Yeah, well, she still did those other things."

"None of that was personal or done out of malice either. When she confronted me about not swimming, she absolutely right, there's no way around that. So you can't hold that against her. I wasn't doing my job as Elder Sister. I was lying and setting a bad example to the other students by not participating, and she was right to reprimand me. She had no idea why I was really sitting out, she only knew that I was lying about being on my p-p-per-per…"

"Period," Shion offered, holding back a smile.

Mizuho nodded, blushing furiously. "Y-Yes, that." He cleared his throat, willing the warmth out of his cheeks. "As for Kana's ribbon, that didn't have anything to do with us either. Takako felt that Kana was violating the school's dress code, and as the Student Council President, she had taken charge of the situation. The fact that Kana and I were friends had nothing to do with it. And once I showed her that Kana's ribbon actually wasn't against the dress code, Takako admitted that she was wrong and let it go." He frowned slightly. "Actually, she seemed somewhat concerned over the fact that _I_ didn't tell _her_ that she was wrong."

Mariya glared at him. "You should have. She was wrong, and you should have let her know it."

Shion patted her shoulder. "Now, now, Mariya, that wasn't the point Mizuho was trying to make when he took up Kana's case."

Mariya visibly pouted. "She was still wrong."

"And she knew it," Mizuho told her. "There was no need to point it out or rub it in her face."

"Well, what about when she was going to expose your secret to everyone, and after you saved her from those thugs as well."

Mizuho sighed. "I really don't think she would have told, at least not without finding out more about the situation. I really appreciate you talking to her about it though, that definitely made her feel better about everything, but I still don't think she would have exposed me in the first place. But, truthfully, I think she should have."

Both Shion and Mariya gave him a surprised look. "What?"

He nodded. "Regardless of the circumstances, I was a boy pretending to be a girl at an all-girls school. No matter what the reason was, that is not acceptable. And for all Takako knew, I was really a cross-dressing pervert, or a sexual predator taking advantage of the students. I'd been lying for months, using the girls' bathroom, and getting changed with them in the locker rooms. Really, what would anyone think?"

"You know," said Shion, "he has a good point."

Mariya glared at her. "How come you keep defending her?"

Shion just smiled. "Well, aside from the fact that Takako and I bear no ill will towards each other, and the fact that she helped break the engagement between her brother and me, Takako never did anything wrong. And when she made a mistake, she admitted to it."

"You also have to consider her position," Mizuho continued. "She was the Student Council President. It was her duty to see to the welfare of the students and the school. She'd just discovered that a boy was disguising himself as a girl and infiltrating the school. Really, what would you have done in her position? She should have immediately run to the principal about it, no questions asked, but she didn't. The fact alone that she felt conflicted about what she should do shows how much faith she had in me. And in the end, she chose to remain silent. We _owe_ her, Mariya, we shouldn't be condemning her."

Mariya slammed her fist down on the table. "Why do you always take her side? I'm your cousin! I'm the one who's always been there for you! You should be agreeing with me!"

Shion's hand went to her mouth. "Oh my."

Mizuho gave his cousin a look. "Mariya, it has nothing to do with sides. I just want peace. I don't know why you're so determine to keep things hostile between you two. Takako keeps trying to let things go, but you don't seem to want to. You keep causing trouble for her, and have played some really mean pranks on her over the years and trying to make her life more difficult."

Mariya looked furious now. "She deserves it! After the way she looked down on me and what I love, like it was beneath her, she deserved it!"

Mizuho closed his eyes and sighed. "Is that really what this is all about? Are you really still holding a grudge against her for that?" He shook his head. "Mariya, I know why your dislike for Takako started. You were on the Track and Field team, and Takako was invited to join, but she turned it down in favor of the Student Council President position."

His cousin didn't deny it. "Yeah, so what? Doesn't she realize how lucky she was to be scouted like that? She had a natural talent for it while I had to work hard. Oh, but that wasn't good enough for little miss priss. The Track and Field was beneath her. Well, it meant a lot to me! I had to train really hard to make the team while she was simply invited just like that. Yet she turned down the offer like it was nothing! It's unforgivable! She certainly had a lot of nerve to-"

"Mariya!" Mizuho interrupted loudly, and now he looked angry. "Stop jumping to conclusions and making up reasons to hate her. Takako wasn't looking down on the Track and Field Club."

Mariya scoffed. "Of course you would defend her, because she's your girlfriend."

He shook his head. "That has nothing to do with it. But while you made up your own reason to hate her over her decision, I learned the truth. Takako enjoyed Track and Field. She_wanted_ to join. But with all her duties as the Student Council President, being on the team was too much for her. Kimie told me how tired and stressed out she was all the time before she turned down the position. Didn't you notice anything?"

Mariya simply turned away. Mizuho ignored this as he recalled what Kimie Sugawara, the Student Council Treasurer, had told him. "I may not have been around for it, but Kimie told me everything. Takako was exhausted all the time. She was running her body into the ground and making herself sick. She couldn't do both, and had to make a choice. And even though she loved Track and Field, she chose the position she felt she could do more for the school for, and that she herself would benefit from more in the long run. You can't fault her for that. And, in all honesty, I admire her for giving up something she loved for something she thought would be better for herself and others.

"So now I'm asking you, Mariya, please lay off Takako, and stop being so determine to hate her and make her out to be the villain when you have absolutely no reason to whatsoever. You're my cousin, and I care about you. I really don't want to think badly about you."

Silence settled around the table. Shion looked back and forth between the two, waiting for one to react. Mariya stared at Mizuho with a blank expression while he stared at her with a pleading look on his face.

Finally, she stood up and walked away without a word. Mizuho watched her go, looking disappointed, but did nothing to stop her.

"Well," Shion muttered, "that could have gone better."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Takako would much rather be anywhere than where she currently was. Her father had arranged a meeting between the two of them and Kenichi Tsubata and his father. The initial meeting had been awkward to say the least, and, currently, her father and Mr. Tsubata were in a deep discussion that had been going on for nearly an hour.

Glancing at her fiancé, Takako wondered what was going through his mind. He didn't come across as a bad person. In fact, he'd been nothing but polite, though he seemed equally as uncomfortable with the situation as she was.

He looked a lot like his picture, pale skin, messy black hair, tired blue eyes, and a small smile on his face that seemed to indicate contentment rather than actual happiness. He seemed nice enough, and Takako was thankful for that. Her father could have just as easily engaged her to a dirty old man or an abusive pervert, and she had no doubt that he would have done so if he thought he would benefit from it. She still didn't want to marry him though, but she supposed she should be grateful for small favors.

"I don't bite you know," he said suddenly.

Takako nearly jumped. "What?"

His smile widened slightly. "Well, this meeting was meant for us to get to know each other a bit, but you've just been sitting over there without saying anything. I thought you might be afraid that I would pounce on you or something."

She gave him props for trying to break the ice. "I'm sorry. This is just very unusual for me. I've never been engaged before."

He chuckled at that. "Nor have I. I always knew my parents would choose a suitable bride for me one day, but it was still a surprise to have it suddenly sprung on me without warning."

She gave him a curious look. "So you didn't consent to this either?"

He shrugged. "Hardly. I was just informed one day that my parents had chosen my future wife for me." He looked her up and down. "I must admit that I approve of their choice so far. You're really quite beautiful."

Takako felt herself blush, but kept a stubborn attitude. "So you have no problems with the arrangement?"

He shrugged again. "Aside from how sudden it was, I have no complaints. Like I said, I expected this to happen for quite a while now; I just wasn't sure when it would take place." He studied her for a moment. "Why? Do you have any complaints? Am I so unappealing?"

She chose her words carefully. "Not at all. You seem like a fine person. But to have my marriage partner chosen for me so suddenly, and for it to be someone I don't even know… I don't like it."

He nodded in understanding. "Yes, I can see where you're coming from. One should know who they're going to be spending the rest of their life with. But is that not why we're here now, to get to know one another?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or do you oppose this marriage for another reason?"

She didn't answer, and instead turned to look out the window. Kenichi studied her for a few moments before smiling. "Ah, I think I understand. So who is he?"

Takako's head snapped back towards him. "What?"

"The person you're thinking about. I assume you have someone special."

She felt her face heating up. "T-That is… I… I have no idea what you mean."

He just kept smiling kindly. "Someone your parents don't approve of, I'll bet. Am I right?" The look on her face told her all he needed to know. "I guess so. Have you even mentioned him to your parents? Maybe they'll consider it."

She considered denying it, but then realized there was no point. "No, there's no chance of that."

"I see," he replied, truly looking sorrowful. "It can be really tough for people like us. The lower class tends to envy our positions, but they don't realize that the privileged face many of their own difficulties. It can be very tiring." He was silent for a moment. "So, have you told him?"

Takako looked away. No, she hadn't said anything. How could she? How do you tell the boy you loved that you were suddenly engaged to someone else? She had no idea. And, truthfully, she wanted to put it off for as long as possible. Was it selfish of her to want to enjoy whatever remaining time she had with him? To let her have whatever happiness she could still get while she could still get it? Didn't she at least deserve that much? She knew she would have to tell him eventually, but she wanted to put it off for as long as she could.

Kenichi took her silence for an answer. "I understand. You want to be with him while you can. I have no objections to that, and won't hold anything you."

"I'm sorry," she said, suddenly feeling as if she was taking advantage of his kindness.

He raised an eyebrow. "For what? Being honest with your feelings?" He simply waved this off. "Don't fret over it. You can't help who you love. I'm sorry this happened to you. I know it must be hard. I promise to be a good husband though. I'll treat you well." He gave her a hopeful look. "Is there any chance I could make you forget about him."

Takako looked at him. She could tell he was being sincere. Under different circumstances, she might have been pleased with her father's choice of a husband for her. Kenichi was kind, handsome, rich, influential, and only a year older than her. She should consider herself lucky to be marrying him. But he wasn't Mizuho. There was only one Mizuho Kaburagi, and he was deeply embedded in her heat. No one could replace him or make her forget him. She would always love him, no matter what.

Sighing, she shook her head. "Sorry, but I can only love Mizuho."

He gave her an understanding smile. "I see. Well, I can at least try. And maybe one day you can come to love me as you do him." He winked at her. "But until we're actually married, consider yourself a free woman."

Takako gave him an appreciate look and glanced out the window again. She was glad that he was so understanding, but she knew there was no chance of her falling for him. She could never love anyone the way she loved Mizuho, but Fate had decreed that they should never be together. So she did what she always did when her family forced her to do something she didn't want to do. She put on her business face, and buried her feelings deep in her heart.

**(A/N: In case you haven't figured it out, I really don't like Mariya. A lot of people seem to like her, but not me. She really was a total bitch behind all her perkiness, especially with the way she kept harassing Takako, finding excuses and making up excuses to hate her, and trying to paint her to be the villain over some stupid grudge she held. This chapter was a look in on that, but I'll be exploring more on it later. So how was Takako's interaction with her "fiancé"? Kenichi seems like a nice guy, but he's just not Mizuho. I also addressed something I'd always thought about when it comes to upper and lower classes in society. While it's true that money and power do indeed provide special privileges, there are many things that prevent people from truly being free and happy when they hold high standings in society. Many people think that if they rise up, all their problems will disappear, but in reality, they are just replaced by different kinds of issues. This is why it's important to be happy with your lot in life, but it is also good to strive for greater things. But for Takako, based on the way her family raised her, she really doesn't see any other options. Lets see what happens when the truth comes out.)**


	6. Chapter 6: The Festival

**(A/N: This is just a cute little chapter, but it's not a filler. Some things from it will come up later. I also may have gotten a few things wrong with Japanese festivities, but I wrote what I could.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 6: The Festival**

"Hey, hey, how do I look?" Mariya asked, spinning around in front of the mirror.

Mizuho looked his cousin up and down. "You look very nice."

"Yahoo! I knew this yukata suited me." She eyed him with a mischievous smirk. "Yours looks very good on you too, Mizuho. You look just like a girl."

Sighing, Mizuho looked down at himself. He too wore a yukata, his being blue while Mariya's was red, and his long hair hung loose. There was a festival tonight, and they were meeting up with their friends so they could all attend it together.

"I'll bet a lot of guys hit on you," Mariya told him.

"M-Mariya, cut it out! I don't want to be hit on."

She latched onto his arm, deliberately making sure it pressed against her chest. "Then you better stay close to me so that everyone thinks we're a couple."

Mizuho sweat-dropped. Did Mariya not realize that Takako would be there as well? He hoped she wouldn't make a big deal out of it. Nothing further had been said about what they had talked about last week, but he had a feeling that Mariya was still going to be stubborn about things.

They left together, taking a limo to where they were supposed to meet the others. Shion, Yukari, and Kana were already there waiting for them, the two younger girls looking as if Christmas had come early when Mizuho stepped out of the car.

"Mizuho, you look so beautiful!" Yukari awed.

"Amazing!" Kana exclaimed.

Mizuho laughed nervously. "Um, thanks. You all look lovely too."

Shion, easily looking the most beautiful of them all, gave him a smile. "Why, thank you."

Mariya instantly wrapped an arm around Kana and Yukari, pulling them close. "You both look so cute! I want to take you home with me!"

"M-Mariya, we can't breathe," Yukari gasped.

Shion chuckled. "She's right though, you're both very cute."

"Right! Right!" Mariya nodded enthusiastically. Still holding the two girls close, she turned to Shion and Mizuho. "So, where should we go first?"

"Um," Mizuho muttered. "Actually, we're still waiting for someone."

Mariya blinked. "Huh? Who?"

"Mizuho! Shion!" came her answer as Takako hurried over to them, waving. She wasn't alone either, Kimie was hurrying along behind her.

Mizuho waved back. "Takako!"

Mariya visibly pouted, her cheeks puffing out and her eyes narrowing. "What are they doing here?"

"Oh my," Shion snickered. "Is it not normal for boyfriends and girlfriends to go to events like this together?"

Mariya's eye twitched in irritation as the other two girls joined them.

"Were you waiting long?" Takako asked.

Shion smiled. "Not at all."

"We just got here," Mizuho replied. He gave Kimie a nervous grin. "Um, hello, Kimie."

She adjusted her glasses, giving him a dirty look as she coldly responded, "Big Sister," She nodded in greeting, then glared. "Oh, wait, that's wrong, isn't it? You're not even a woman."

Takako closed her eyes. "That's enough, Kimie."

The bespectacled girl lowered her head. "Yes, Takako."

Being his girlfriend's best friend, Mizuho had given Takako the ok to tell Kimie the truth about who he was and why he had been attending Seio Academy if she swore to secrecy. Though Kimie had said she would keep his secret, she was far more displeased by his deception than the others.

Mariya cut her eyes at her. "Hey, if you're going to have a bad attitude about this, then you can just go away." She waved her hand at her. "Shoo, shoo."

Mizuho smiled nervously. "I-It's fine. We can all get along. So, does anyone have anywhere they want to go first?"

"I want to try the polymer clay cutouts," said Kana.

"No, goldfish scooping," Yukari argued.

"Clay cutouts!"

"Goldfish scooping!"

Shion chuckled. "We'll do the cutouts since Kana beat you to it, Yukari, then we can do the goldfish scooping afterwards."

The two girls nodded in agreement and hurried ahead to find the booths. When the others caught up, they already had needles in their hands and were working on cutting out the shapes on their clay sheets.

"I'm doing a cat's head," Yukari declared.

"I'm doing a star," said Kana.

Using her needle, she carefully poked along the outline, but when she got to one of the end points of the star, she broke it.

"Eh, it broke!"

Yukari smirked. "You need to have a good hand for this. Look, you go very carefully, and… Eh, mine broke too!"

They both looked at each other before nearly lunging over the counter and demanding, "Another!"

Mizuho chuckled as he selected a cat's head as well. Beside him, Takako chose a flower, and Kimie a fish.

Yukari and Kana paused on their new ones to take a look at Mizuho's progress.

"Wow, you're really good at this, Mizuho," Kana praised.

"Not really," he replied.

Takako glanced at his. "No, you are good. You've made more progress than me."

Yukari looked at Takako's cutout, a heart. "How are you both so good at this? Shion, how are you doing?"

They looked at hers and were stunned speechless. Shion had finished hers, and it was of a very detailed butterfly with very elaborate wings, and she had done it without even a single mistake.

"Wow…" Mizuho muttered, "that's really good."

"Amazing!" Yukari awed. A determine look crossed her face. "Right! I've got to try harder!"

She went back to hers, a look of complete concentration on her face. Halfway through, someone tapped her shoulder.

"What?" she asked, not looking up. Another tap. "What is it?"

She turned to find a hideous face inches from her own. Yelping in fright, she broke her clay slab. A moment later, Mariya removed the mask, snickering.

"Mariya!" Mizuho scolded.

She ignored his reprimanding. "Hey, hey, you should see these masks they have for sale."

"Aww," Yukari cried, "you made me break my cutout!"

Mariya just held up her perfectly cutout elephant and jokingly stuck out her tongue. "You're such a scaredy cat."

Takako sighed. "Why must you instigate everything?"

Mariya glared at her for a moment before smirking. "We're just having fun with our friends. It's just too bad Ichiko isn't here anymore."

Takako gave her a confused look. "Who's Ichiko?"

Mariya's grin widened. "Just out ghost friend."

The color drained from Takako's face. "Th-Th-There's n-n-no s-such thing as g-g-ghost!" she stammered fearfully, and quickly went back to her cutout.

After everyone finished, and Kana and Yukari gave up on completing theirs, they moved on to goldfish scooping. The two younger girls proved to be just as incompetent at this as they were with the polymer cutouts. The small paper nets kept tearing on them whenever they tried to scoop up a fish.

Mizuho caught one on his second attempt, as did Takako, and Kimie on her third. Mariya, on the other hand, also kept ripping hers, and on her seventh attempt, finally lost her temper and began aggressively splashing the torn handheld paper net in the water.

"Why can't I catch one?"

"You're doing it too hard," Shion told her, taking her own net. "Here, watch."

She took her turn, and managed to catch a goldfish on her first try. Marita didn't seem impressed.

"S-So what? You got lucky one time. I bet you can't do it again."

By the time they left the goldfish scooping booth, Mariya was fuming, and Shion had caught a fish for herself, Mariya, Kana, and Yukari, all on her first attempt.

"You're really amazing, Shion," Kana told her.

"Yeah, yeah," Mariya muttered. "So what do you want to do next?"

And so it went on, the group visiting the various booths, and Shion continuing to excel at any event they played. Eventually, Kimie's brooding mood lightened up as the night progressed, and she became more friendly towards Mizuho, seeming to forgive him for his deceit with the promise that he wouldn't lie anymore.

At one point during the night, she went up to Takako while they were out of earshot. "Have you told him yet?"

The smile that had been present on Takako's face dropped, and she shook her head. "No, not yet."

She had confided in her friend about her engagement, trusting her to remain silent. She'd needed to talk to someone about it, and Kimie was always there to give her support, regardless of the circumstances.

"You'll need to tell him soon," Kimie told her. "Putting it off won't help. You're still going to end up breaking his heart."

Takako sighed. "I know, I know, but I want as much time with him as I can get. Is that so wrong?"

Kimie shook her head. "No, it's not wrong. But putting it off will just make it more difficult when the time comes." She gave her friend a look. "Can't you just refuse the engagement? Tell your parents that you refuse to get married."

Takako gave her a sad smile. "You know it's not that simple, Kimie. I may not want this, but there's no going against my family. I'm going to have to go through with it. All I can do is be grateful that they chose someone nice and close to my age."

Kimie sighed. "I'll stand by whatever you decide. I just want you to be happy."

Takako nodded her gratitude. "Thank you, Kimie. She looked at Mizuho as he watched Kana and Yukari play with sparklers. "Right now, I'm very happy."

That didn't last long as Mariya chose that moment to stick her caramel apple in Mizuho's face. "Hey, hey, try my caramel apple."

Mizuho gently pushed her hand away. "Um, thanks, but I have my own," he said, holding up his.

Mariya pouted, then smiled again. "Then here, have some of my cotton candy," she said, shoving the hand with the half eaten pink fluff in his face.

He politely refused this too. "No, thank you, I'm good."

A vein twitched in Mariya's temple. "Just eat it already!" she cried, pushing the fluffy treat in against his face.

Takako's hands clenched as she was overcome with jealousy. She knew Mizuho and Mariya were close cousins and good friends, but she also knew that Mariya was in love with him. She didn't like the overly friendly way Mariya was being with him, especially since she knew that Mizuho was _her_ boyfriend. True, she would be forced to break up with him eventually, but for now he still belonged to her.

As the two younger girls' sparklers died out and the group began heading towards another booth, Takako came up behind Mizuho and grabbed his hand, pulling him back.

"Takako, what?" he asked.

She put a finger to he lips. "_Shh_, come with me."

Pulling him along, she dragged him away from the others and into the surrounding trees behind the booths. Out of the corner of her eye, Shion saw the two of them sneak away and smiled.

"T-Takako, where are we going?" he asked as she dragged him away from the crowd. She didn't stop until they came to an open clearing. "Takako, is everything all right?"

Wondering what had come over her, Takako struggled to find her voice as she held his hand tightly. "I… I just wanted to be alone with you for a while. Is that so wrong?"

Mizuho blinked, the smiled. "No, there's nothing wrong with that. You could have just asked though."

"I couldn't with that woman hanging all over you!"

He blinked again. "What woman? You mean Mariya?"

"Yes, her! She's in love with you! She doesn't just think of you as her cousin! She wants to steal you away from me!"

Unable to hold herself back, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear. Mizuho stood there surprised for a few moments before returning the hug while gently patting her head.

"You don't need to worry about Mariya," he reassured her. "I've known how she felt for a while now, and I came to realize that I can't love her the way she wants me to. I only think of her as family. You're the one I love, Takako, and you won't ever lose me."

She internally winced at that. He didn't know it yet, but she would lose him, already had actually. He'd been lost to her since her father had chosen Kenichi Tsubata as her fiancé.

"I love you, Mizuho," she said into his chest. "I want to stay with you."

He gently moved back so he could look at her face. "You can stay with me, Takako. Always."

"Mizuho…"

From a distance away, out of earshot, the others watched them from behind the bushes. Kana and Yukari had envious looks on their faces while Kimie appeared indifferent. Shion just plain looked amused, and Mariya looked as if she was about to commit murder as she subconsciously shredded the leaves.

Up in the sky, there were several explosions as fireworks were set off, lighting up the night. Takako's teary gaze shifted upward as more and more lit the sky up with various colors.

"Fireworks," she whispered. "They're beautiful."

"Yes," Mizuho agreed. "They are."

Takako looked back at him and realized that he was looking at her, not the fireworks, when he said this. He gave her a smile and leaned in to kiss her.

From the group's hidden spot, there was a loud _snap_ as the branch Mariya had been bending broke on two, much like her heart.

**(A/N: Poor Mariya. I may not like her, but heartbreak is still a painful thing. Also wanted to bring Kimie into the mix to explore how someone that wasn't really close to Mizuho would act around him once his secret was discovered.)**


	7. Chapter 7: Confrontations

**(A/N: This chapter was very controversial for me to write due to the subject matter. You'll see what I mean when you get to it.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 7: Confrontations**

It had been an enjoyable evening, especially the part with the fireworks. Takako's lips were still tingling from where Mizuho had kissed her. It was hardly their first kiss, but all of Mizuho's kisses tended to leave her feeling weak in the knees.

When she was this happy, she could almost forget what her family had planned for her. Almost. But, perhaps, if she made enough memories with Mizuho, they would be enough to at least keep her somewhat satisfied in the future.

The thought brought a frown to her face. She knew she was just kidding herself. She would never be content with anyone else besides Mizuho. At most, she could hope to not be miserable. She didn't think Kenichi would mistreat her or be a bad husband, but how could she handle being married to someone else when the person she loved was still out there.

Perhaps, worst of all, was the thought that Mizuho would eventually move on. He was a beautiful person, inside and out, and there was already no shortage of girls in love with him. Even when he was pretending to be a girl, the students at Seio Academy had fallen for him. He should have no trouble getting a new girlfriend once she was out of the picture.

She also had no doubt that Mariya would pounce on him the moment she and Mizuho broke up. The girl was obviously in love with him. Mizuho said that he knew how she felt, but only thought of her as family. While that may be true now, it could change in the future. And Mariya wasn't the only threat. Yukari and Kana, though young, were both in love with him too. He might even fall for one of them after they grew up.

And then there was Shion. The black haired beauty was as perfect as they came. She was kind, compassionate, smart, fun, elegant, honorable, talented, funny, stunningly beautiful, and had even been very good at sports before she had gotten sick. It would be very easy to fall in love with her. And while she and Mizuho were merely good friends, Takako sometimes suspected that Shion might have a little thing for him as well, although Mizuho was oblivious to it.

A wave of possessiveness and jealousy washed over Takako, which surprised her. She wasn't the type of person who got jealous or possessive, but when it came to Mizuho, that changed, as had a lot of things. She never thought she could feel the things he made her feel, and she hated the thought of him being with anyone else.

She shook her head. She had to stop thinking that way. She was engaged to Kenichi now; she had to let Mizuho go, no matter how much she didn't want to. Perhaps Kimie was right and she should break it off with him now. It was too painful to bear, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it; she loved him too much, and just wasn't strong enough.

So lost in her thoughts she was as she walked through the front door, she didn't even notice her father standing in front of her until she nearly walked into him.

"Father!" she gasped in surprise. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

Mr. Itsukushima stared at her with his arms crossed in disapproval. "And where have you been, young lady?"

Feeling a prick of unease, she did her best to remain stoic. "I simply attended the festival with some friends from school."

Her father remained suspicious. "Ah, I see. Keeping good connections with your former classmates, is that right? Girls from well influential families, I presume?"

Takako resisted the urge to sigh. Leave it to her father to see friendships as nothing more than a means to get ahead. "Something like that."

"_Only_ girls from your school?" her father questioned. "There was no one else?"

As Takako opened her mouth to reply, he cut her off. "Before you dig yourself in any deeper, you should know that your brother has informed me that you've been seeing a boy."

Takako's eyes widened in surprise, but it soon gave way to anger. "Kazutaka," she hissed, her nails digging into her palms. She really should have known better. Leave it to her brother to ruin whatever happiness she could find.

"Yes," her father replied, "he was right to tell me. He didn't know who it was though. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that my own daughter was involved with the son of the Kaburagi family."

Takako gasped. He knew! He knew about Mizuho! That would explain the anger in his eyes.

"Of all people," he seethed, "you get involved with the son of our biggest competitor. What were you thinking?"

She tried to speak, but her voice didn't seem to want to cooperate with her. "I… I… how'd you…?"

Mr. Itsukushima raised an eyebrow. "How'd I find out? After you brother informed me of your little love affair, I had my people follow you. They saw you with him tonight."

A feeling of outrage overcame her. "You were _spying_ on me?"

He pointed a finger at her threateningly. "You are my daughter! I will do as I see fit!" Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I knew you didn't have our family's ambition, but I still thought you were smarter than this. That boy could very well be using you to get information on our family."

The fear his threatening motion had instilled within her vanished as she came to Mizuho's defense. "He's not like that! He's very kind and caring! He didn't even know who I was for a few weeks until after we met, and nothing changed when he did."

"Of course!" her father raged. "He was getting close to you and earning your trust! What did you tell him about us?"

"Nothing!" Takako objected, even though it wasn't completely true. "I haven't told him anything! And he hasn't asked either! Our relationship has nothing to do with our companies' rivalry! I love him, Father, and he loves me!"

Her father sighed in aggravation. "This is why love is for low class fools. It blinds them and makes them stupid." He fixed her with a hard look. "I want you to call that boy and break up with him. I don't care what sort of relationship the two of you have, it ends now."

"But, Father-"

"No buts, Takako. You are getting married to Kenichi Tsubata, and that is that! You will never see the Kaburagi boy again, do you understand me! Now get out of my sight!"

Feeling very small beneath her father's wrath, she tore past him and ran through the house. On her way to her room, she passed Kazutaka in the hall where he had been eavesdropping with that disgusting smirk on his face. She paid him no mind as she slammed the door to her room, locking it behind her. Throwing herself on the bed, she began to weep as she hugged her pillow close to her, cursing her fate at having been born in the Itsukushima family.

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Something was wrong with Mariya, but Mizuho couldn't figure out what it was. Ever since he and Takako had run off at the festival last night, she had been in a foul mood. In fact, when they had rejoined the others, _all_ of them had been acting strange. Yukari and Kana couldn't seem to stop blushing, Shion had a big smirk on her face that suggested she knew a juicy secret, and Kimie refused to meet his or Takako's eyes.

Their behavior had returned to normal as the night progressed, but not Mariya's. Initially she had come across as really depressed, but then she became rather grumpy. Her behavior continued the rest of the night, and she hadn't spoken to him once. Now she wouldn't even return his calls or texts when he tried to see if she was all right.

Had something happened at the festival last night that had made her angry? It really didn't take much to set her off. Was she upset with him and Takako for sneaking away? They hadn't been gone that long. She shouldn't have really been so upset over it. She hadn't even come looking for them.

He froze. Unless… unless she _had_ come looking for them. And found them. That would explain why she was so upset. And not just her, but everyone! It would explain everyone's unusual behavior when he and Takako returned. They had seen the two of them kissing!

Mizuho blushed furiously. He couldn't believe his friends had been watching him and Takako kiss. It was so embarrassing. Sure, they had also kissed in front of the entire student body for the school play, but that had been acting, more or less.

He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it now. Besides, why should he feel embarrassed, and why should Mariya be upset? Takako was his girlfriend. He was allowed to kiss her. He should be able to show his affection whenever he wanted. If Mariya didn't like it, then that was just something she would have to learn to deal with.

His cellphone rang, startling him, and he snatched it off his bed. He expected it to be Mariya returning his call, but was pleasantly surprised to see it was Takako.

Pressing the ANSWER button, he held it up to his ear. "Hi, Takako."

There was no answer from the other end. He waited a few seconds, but the only thing he could hear was her breathing. It sounded strange though, as if she were upset, and he frowned. "Takako?"

A few more seconds passed, and he heard a sniffle followed by, _"Mizuho."_

Yes, she was definitely upset about something. It almost sounded as if she had been crying. "Takako, what's wrong? Is everything all right?"

His question was followed by another sniffle. _"I… I just wanted to hear your voice. And… and I wanted to see you."_

He began to worry. "Of course, just tell me what happened. Are you ok?"

He heard the phone shift on her end and assumed she nodded. _"Yes, I'm fine. Everything will be ok. I just… I really need to se you."_ She still sounded distraught, but now she also sounded shy. _"And… and there's somewhere I want to go. Can you meet me there? Right now?"_

She wanted to go on a date? No, more likely she wanted to go somewhere private to talk about whatever was bothering her. That was good; hopefully he would be able to help.

"Of course, I'll leave right now. Where do you want to go?"

She was silent for a moment before finally telling him. When she did, he turned beet red and nearly dropped his phone.

"EHHH?!"

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Tears trickled down Takako's cheeks as she stared up at the ceiling. They weren't sad tears though, but tears of joy. A content smile was on her face as she basked in the post-coitus afterglow. She couldn't ever remember being so happy.

Beside her, she felt Mizuho shift, the bed creaking as he turned on his side to look at her. A concerned frown appeared on his face as he saw her tears, and he gently reached over to wipe them away.

"Why are you crying?" he asked worriedly. "Did it hurt? Was I too rough?"

She couldn't help it, she giggled. "No, I'm just very happy."

She still couldn't believe she had the nerve to ask him to come to a Love Hotel, let alone actually gone through with it, but now she was glad she did. It had been her first time, and it had hurt at first, but what had followed had been more than worth it.

Mizuho was everything she could have hoped for in a lover. He'd been gentle and loving, unwilling to find his own release until she had found hers. It had been a truly beautiful, joyful, and romantic experience. It was so overwhelming intense, both physically and emotionally, that it had left her in tears of happiness, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Leaning down, he kissed the remaining tears from her eyes, his tenderness nearly causing more to fall. He gently stroked her hair as he stared at her lovingly. "What made you want to come to a Love Hotel all of a sudden?"

His question caused her smile to become a frown as she quickly rushed to come up with an answer. "Wha-What's wrong with that? These are the kinds of things couples do, aren't they?"

It had come out harsher than she meant, most likely because she felt embarrassed by it.

Mizuho blinked. "I'm not complaining. It just seemed so… sudden. It's a little out of character for you."

For some reason, that irritated her, and she sat up, turning her back to him as she used the covers to cover her nakedness. She didn't know why it embarrassed her; he had already seen everything she had to offer. He'd said she was beautiful, and had worshiped every inch of her body with his hands and lips. But even after everything they did, she still felt embarrassed to be seen naked, even though he was just as bare as she was.

Her irritation was also unjustified. He was right after all; this _was_ very out of character for her. She hardly ever did anything spontaneously like this, and found that she didn't really have an answer for him.

"I just…" she struggled to find the right words, "I wanted to be with you," she blushed furiously, "like _that_. I wanted my first time to be with you."

That much was true. She'd wanted to give herself to the person she truly loved before she was forcibly married off to someone she didn't. It was nothing against Kenichi, he seemed like a nice guy, but she didn't love him, didn't even know him, and she wanted her first time to be with someone special, the one she really loved.

She still felt bad though. To an extent, she was betraying Kenichi. But at the same time, there wasn't really any loyalty to betray; she didn't have any feelings for him, nor he for her. They'd both been forced into a situation neither of them had any control over. How was that fair? Takako didn't want to marry him, her family was forcing her into it. If she was going to be forced to be with someone she didn't love for the rest of her life, didn't she at least deserve to truly be with the one she really loved at least once?

Did that make her a bad person? She felt awful about it, and she hoped Kenichi would understand; it wouldn't be right to keep this from him. Would he be angry, or would he understand? It wasn't like they were a married yet, or were even a couple. Plus, he knew that she was in love with someone else and didn't want this wedding to happen. She wouldn't have held it against him if he were in her position. He'd even said that he had no objections against her relationship with Mizuho and wouldn't hold anything against her, so it should have been fine.

It had even sounded as if he'd been encouraging her to try and break off the engagement if she was able to, though that wasn't likely to happen. Or, who knew, maybe after finding out about this, it would give them the excuse they needed to call off the wedding. But then again, she still wouldn't be free to be with Mizuho. Her parents would just find someone else to match her with in order to enhance their own gain, and this new person might be less appealing.

She still felt guilty, even though she owed no loyalty to Kenichi, nor he to her, at least not yet. Once they were wed, Takako would honor her marriage. She would not be like her parents, who had multiple lovers on the side. Nor would she treat her children the way her parents treated her. They would be allowed to live their own lives and choose who to love, not be forced to be tools for their parents' gain. Sadly, that would not be what her future held for her, regardless of how she felt about it.

But it wasn't just because of Kenichi that she felt guilty. She also felt as if she were using Mizuho right now. He still didn't know of her engagement, or that she had to break up with him. Would he be upset that she asked him to take her here while she was planning on breaking up with him shortly after?

She really was a horrible person.

She didn't want to hurt anyone. She just wanted to show Mizuho how much she loved him, and to give him something to remember her by. Was it wrong for her to make love to him while engaged to someone else, even if the engagement was unwanted and he was the one she really loved? Whether it was or not, she still felt horrible about it. She didn't regret it though. She could never regret what they had shared, and was glad that her first time had been with him, no matter what the consequences were.

The whole situation was just so unfair.

Feeling his fingers caress her back, she tensed up. Goosebumps broke out over her skin as his hands came around her, slipping beneath the blanket to cup her breasts as he hugged her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed the side of her neck, making her shiver.

"I love you, Takako, and I'm sorry if I upset you. I loved being with you like that, and you've made me very happy. But I can tell that something is bothering you, and I wish you'd tell me. I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong. You can tell me anything."

She felt tears creeping up in her eyes again. She really didn't deserve him. He was too good for someone like her. But she loved him so desperately that she couldn't bear to let him go. Damn her wretched family for doing this to them.

Letting the covers fall, she turned in his arms, hugging him tightly as she kissed him with all the love she felt. Mizuho held her close, and they fell back onto the bed with her on top.

When they finally broke for air, Takako looked deep into his magenta eyes, trying to show him the depths of her love for him. "I love you too, Mizuho. So much it hurts. No matter what happens, always remember that. No matter what. I…" she hesitated when she realized she was about to quote his friends, "I want to be your bride. More than anything. I want to be with you forever."

He smiled up at her and stroked her hair as it hung down around them like an orange curtain. He brought a lock of it to his lips and kissed it, making her heart melt. Laid out like this, with his own hair unbound and spilled out around him like a halo, she couldn't help but think he looked like an angel; an angel that had brought such joy and love to her life as she cowered beneath her heartless and controlling family.

"I want to be with you forever too, Takako," he told her. "And you don't have to worry, I'm not going anywhere. I don't know what's bothering you, but I'm willing to listen whenever you're ready to tell me. I'll always be here for you, and I want you to know that you can tell me anything."

"Mizuho," she whispered, fighting back more tears. "I promise to tell you soon. I just need a little more time. For now, I want you to make love to me again. I want a memory I'll be able to remember and cherish forever."

He thought it was strange with the way she worded that. It almost sounded as if she were saying goodbye. But that didn't make any sense. Why would she be saying goodbye?

But any further thoughts were put out of mind as she leaned down to kiss him, rekindling their passion.

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If going to a Love Hotel was embarrassing, coming out was even worse. While checking in, people knew what they were going to do, but with coming out, people will have known what they had _done_. So, upon coming downstairs, both Mizuho and Takako's faces were beet red with embarrassment.

They weren't the only ones, a few other couples were leaving as well, some appearing giddy, some perfectly content, and others looked as if it were no big deal. Both Mizuho and Takako wondered how that could be. Weren't they embarrassed that everyone knew what they had been doing? Maybe it was because it had been the first time for them both, and the shyness and embarrassment they felt would wear off over time.

But for now, it was embarrassing, and they felt as if everyone was looking at them, even though they knew that they were just being self-conscious. Still, they wanted to be as discreet as possible coming out, so they hid by the doors to the hotel, watching the people walk by while waiting for an opportunity to sneak out and blend in with the crowd without being noticed coming out of a Love Hotel.

Finally finding an opening where no one seemed to be paying attention, they slipped outside and into the crowd of people. They completely ignored each other as they tried not to look guilty until they were several yards away from the Love Hotel. Once they felt that they had reached a safe distance, they glanced at each other and smiled before reaching out and holding hands as they walked along.

They had been so focused on the people outside the Love Hotel that they hadn't been worrying about anyone inside it. And so they failed to see the person that had come out after them. With his most recent conquest held close, a sadistic grin crept up Kazutaka's face when he thought of the amount of trouble his dear sweet little sister was going to be in when their parents found out about this.

**(A/N: Oh, crap, they're busted. Things are going to get really bad from here. And the controversial part I was referring to was Takako and Mizuho having sex while Takako was engaged to someone else. Cheating totally disgusts me, but the circumstances here kind of made it ok. It's not like Kenichi was her boyfriend, and he DID say he wouldn't hold anything Takako did against her. I still don't approve though, so this was difficult for me to write. Cuz, when you get a boyfriend, make sure you get one that's loyal, and you do the same. Also, don't tell you mother what I wrote about, she wouldn't like it.)**


	8. Chapter 8: Break Up

**(A/N: Last chapter ended with a cliffhanger where Takako's brother caught her and Mizuho sneaking out of a Love Hotel. There are sure to be repercussions for this. In this chapter, we'll start to see some of the real cruelty of the Itsukushima family. The last few chapters with them had them portrayed as a bunch of stuck up, unfeeling snobs, but now we'll see more of their true colors. Oh, and there will be a bit of heartbreak in here too.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 8: Break Up**

Takako didn't know why her brother was in such a good mood. Normally, she wouldn't care, but he had an expectant look on his face and kept glancing at her. Those two things together usually meant bad news for her, yet she did her best to ignore him. She would not let whatever nonsense he had planned to ruin her good mood. She was still basking in the afterglow of her and Mizuho's love making from a few hours ago.

This was plain enough to her brother. He could see for himself that she was positively glowing. And that sickeningly sweet smile on her face also helped to confirm what went on at the Love Hotel he had seen her at. His baby sister had been naughty-naughty.

"You certainly seem to be in a good mood, sis," he couldn't resist taunting.

Trying to focus on her book, she didn't even look at him. "Is that a crime?"

He chuckled. "Not at all. I just find it interesting that you would be so happy after having broken up with that boy you claim to love so much." His grin widened. "You did break up with him like Father asked you to, didn't you? He'll be very upset if you didn't."

She knew he was trying to provoke her, but she refused to rise to the bait. "It's none of your concern."

Kazutaka licked his lips in anticipation. "Oh, but it is, sister dear." At that moment, the door to the library burst open, and his eyes lit up as their father stormed into the room. "Ah, perfect timing."

Takako didn't know why he was so angry, but it seemed his wrath was directed at her. "Father, what's wrong?"

His eyes narrowed, and he looked ready to breathe fire. "Takako, where have you been all day?"

Again with this? Had his people been spying on her again? She'd been very careful about it and made sure she wasn't followed. "I… had things to do."

Mr. Itsukushima loomed over her. "And would those things include spreading your legs and acting like a bitch in heat?"

The color drained from Takako's face. He knew! Somehow he knew! Or at least he was accusing her of it. Her instant reaction was to deny it. "I-I don't know what you're talking-"

Her father slammed his fist against the wall. "Don't lie to me, you little trollop! You were with that Kaburagi boy again! Your brother saw you at that Love Hotel!"

Gasping, her head snapped towards Kazutaka, and the arrogant creep saluted her. He'd seen her at the Love Hotel with Mizuho? Now it all made sense. No wonder he'd been in such a good mood. But when did he seem them? They had been very careful going in and out of the hotel, and had kept a lookout for anyone that might know either of them. Unless he had been in disguise, she would have recognized her brother of all people.

He seemed to know what she was thinking and grinned. "I was on the inside coming out when I saw you and your lover boy waiting by the door for a chance to sneak out."

And eager to get her in trouble, he had immediately informed their father. This was like the night after the festival all over again, only much, much worse.

She looked back and forth between her father and brother, trying to come up with something to say. Then her gaze shifted back to the door as the sound of high-heeled footsteps were heard approaching. A moment later, her mother appeared in the door. She was a stunningly beautiful woman wearing the latest fashion and a pair of tinted indoor glasses that hid her eyes. Her orange hair was tied back with a lone strand hanging loose across her forehead, and she had a look on her face that suggested that she saw everyone and everything around her as utterly worthless.

Mrs. Itsukushima stared at her daughter and husband for a few seconds before walking over to them, her stoic expression never changing.

Hesitant to meet her eyes, even though they were hidden by her tinted glasses, whose shape made her look like she was glaring, Takako slowly looked up at the woman. "Mother…"

_Slap!_ The sound of her mother's hand striking her cheek resounded through the room. A nasty handprint appeared on her cheek, and Takako's own hand went to cover the mark.

"You whore," her mother seethed, and, without another word, turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Kazutaka was grinning while their father gave no reaction. "Serves you right; we didn't raise you to act like a hussy."

Takako's fingers dug into her cheek. That was certainly rich coming from them. Her father had a number of mistresses, and her mother had her share of lovers as well, even though she kept spending money to higher private investigators to find and separate her husband from his own to hold onto her position as his legal wife. And Kazutaka was a bigger player than both of them put together.

But she didn't dare talk ill of her parents. Her brother though, that was a different story. "I don't see how you can accuse me of that when your precious son is with a new woman every night. Just why do you think he was even at the Love Hotel?"

A frown crossed her brother's face as his eyes narrowed, and he mouthed to her, _"Careful, sis."_

But her father simply waved this off. "Your brother is not engaged to be married. If this gets out, the engagement could be cancelled."

Takako wanted to say that she hoped it would be, but held her tongue. She was in enough trouble already, and beside, her father already knew she didn't want to get married, and had made it plainly clear that he didn't care. Bringing up her displeasure over the engagement would just anger him further.

Even more hypocritical was the fact that back when her brother had been engaged to Shion, he hadn't given up his womanizing ways. She had no proof of it though, and her father would undoubtedly dismiss it anyway even if she did. Kazutaka was always allowed to just do whatever he wanted.

"You will not ruin this opportunity for us," Mr. Itsukushima continued. "If you feel the need, take a lover after you're married once we get what we need from the Tsubata family."

"I'm not a cheater!" Takako objected.

Kazutaka chuckled. "Then what would you consider today being?"

She threw him a dirty look. "I'm not married yet. And Kenichi and I may be engaged, but we are _not_ a couple. I slept with Mizuho because I love him and want to be with him."

Her father glared at her. "And I told you to break up with that boy, not to be broken in by him." She heard her brother snicker at that as their father continued. "And even if you weren't engaged, I would never allow my daughter to associate with anyone from the Kaburagi family." He gave her a suspicious look. "Tell me you at least used protection."

Takako's face turned a deep red, and her hands subconsciously went to her stomach. She had wanted to be with Mizuho fully, without any barriers, to feel everything he had, so no, they hadn't used a condom. But she did take precautions. She almost regretted doing it though. When the time was right, she would have loved to have Mizuho's children. But if something had happened, she had no doubt that her father would force her to have an abortion. It wouldn't have mattered what she wanted as long as his precious reputation was upheld. He only saw them all as a reflection of his place in society. The only things her family cared about were money, power, and image.

"I was on the pill," she reluctantly told him. "And it was both of our first times, so we're fine."

Kazutaka openly laughed at that. "You're boyfriend was a virgin until now? What a pathetic loser."

Takako glared at him. She wanted to say that not everyone was a pervert like him, and that there were those that were more traditional and had higher virtues, but now was not the time for that conversation.

Sighing heavily, Mr. Itsukushima rubbed his temple, attempting to ward off a headache. "That boy is a bad influence on you. You always had been a well-behaved and obedient daughter that took her duties and responsibilities seriously. You never would have done anything like this in the past."

Takako had to admit that he had a point. She had always been the obedient daughter. But he was wrong about one thing; Mizuho was _not_ a bad influence on her. Bad for the Itsukushima family, perhaps, but not on her. With him in her life, she was learning to be her own person, to defy her family when she didn't agree with them, and escape from under their controlling thumb. She was learning to enjoy life and be happy, and not always surround herself in work and choose duty over everything in her life, to not take everything so seriously and have fun.

He had also helped with her with her severe lack of self-confidence that she always had to hide, and he made her a better person in general, and show her that she didn't need to always put up such a front. To do things her way, the way she wanted, and not what her family wanted for her or from her, especially if she disagreed with them.

Her father's next words brought her out of her thoughts. "It doesn't matter now. It's time to end this. You're going to break things off with this boy right now. We will also never breathe a word of this to the Tsubata family. As far as their son is concerned, your 'seemingly' lack of virginity will be written off as having been broken due to vigorous exercising back when you were on the Track and Field team. That will be the end of it. Now," he grabbed her wrist, aggressively pulling her out of the chair, "come with me, young lady."

Takako gasped in pain as he pulled her along. "You're hurting me! And where are we going?"

He didn't even turn to look back at her. "I told you, you're going to break up with that boy. I'm going to see to it personally."

As he all but dragged her off, Kazutaka hopped out of his own seat, grinning eagerly. He didn't want to miss this; it would prove to be most amusing.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Mizuho hurried to the meeting point. After having received an urgent text from Takako, he had dropped what he was doing and rushed to where she had asked them to meet. He didn't know what was so pressing, just that she needed to talk to him about something important.

He would have to apologize properly to Mariya later. After finally having returned his call, she'd demanded that he take her out for ice cream as an apology. She didn't mention anything about having witnessed him and Takako kiss, insisting that she had only been upset that he had ditched her and the others during the festival to sneak away for a private moment with his girlfriend.

He had decided not to ask about the kiss, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, but decided that he did need to have a proper conversation with her. He needed her to know that he was in love with Takako, and didn't see an end to their relationship. Even if they weren't together, he also needed to let her know that he only thought of her as his cousin and good friend.

He'd received Takako's urgent text just as he and Mariya had been approaching the ice cream shop. He told her that something important had come up and that he had to go. After he apologized a second time, he promised to make it up to her later.

That is, if she didn't flat out kill him for ditching her once again. Mariya was well known to be quick to anger and have a fierce temper, not to mention she could get violent during such times and could really hold a grudge. He just hoped she didn't hurt him too badly. The last time he'd accidentally really pissed her off, she'd used several different wrestling moves on him that she picked up from somewhere. Shion had found that to be particularly funny while Kana and Yukari had looked away in horror.

Turning the corner, he saw Takako waiting for him. She wasn't alone either. She had, what appeared to be, two bodyguards on either side of her, and there was a limo parked on the road beside her.

What did this mean? Had her family found out about the two of them? Was that what was so important? Could that be what had been bothering her? No, she had been worrying about something for several weeks now. Maybe her family had only been suspicious and only now had confirmed it. Well, if that was the case, then it was time to nip this in the bud.

"Takako!" he called, waving to her as he hurried over.

She turned to him, and he immediately realized that something was wrong. She looked distressed, and her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying. The thought of it angered him. Who dared make Takako cry?

"Mizuho," she greeted in a monotone voice once he reached her.

"Hey, is everything ok?" He glanced at each of the bodyguards, then at the car, noticing that the tinted window was open slightly so whoever was inside could hear what they were saying.

He looked back at her. "I got your text to meet you here. You said you had something important to tell me."

She nodded, but refused to meet his gaze. She was facing him, but her eyes remained downcast. "It's over, Mizuho. Our relationship is finished."

Mizuho stared at her. It took him several seconds to process what she was saying. "What?"

"I said I'm breaking up with you. I can't… I don't want to see you anymore."

It was like a punch in the chest. He couldn't possibly believe what he was hearing from her. "But why? How come?"

She just shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's over between us. I just wanted to tell you that."

She turned to leave, and he instinctively reached out and caught her arm. The bodyguards reacted, looking as if they were about to make a move on him, but he paid them no mind. "Wait. What is this about? Why do you want to break up? We love each other. Why is…?"

Something clicked in his head. His gaze shifted to the bodyguards to the cracked window of the limo, then back to her.

Moving in closer, he lowered his voice. "It's your family, isn't it? They're making you do this, aren't they? That's why you didn't want them to know that we're dating, because you knew they would make you break up with me. That's it, isn't it?"

She refused to look at him, but she had begun trembling. "It doesn't matter. I can't see you anymore."

"Takako," he pleaded, "it's fine. We can work this out. It doesn't matter if our families own rival companies. That doesn't mean we can't-"

"That's not it!" she cried, pulling her arm free. "I just can't be with you anymore." She completely turned her back on him, struggling to keep her tears at bay. "Lets just keep the precious memories of our time together and leave it at that. They were the happiest times of my life, but they're over now. So lets just move on."

A feeling of desperation gripped Mizuho as she walked towards the limo. "Takako, wait-"

The bodyguards moved, blocking him from reaching for her again. That wasn't what stopped him though, it was her next words that halted him in his tracks.

"I'm engaged to someone else!" she all but shouted.

Mizuho froze, feeling as if his heart had been crushed in a vice. His mind immediately went into denial, unable to accept what his ears were hearing. "What?"

"I'm getting married," she told him, still keeping her back turned, but unable to keep the despair out of her voice. "The engagement was decided weeks ago. I'm getting married to Kenichi Tsubata."

The words slowly processed in Mizuho's head. Married? She was getting married? And she's been engaged for weeks?

Suddenly everything made sense. This had been the reason why she'd seemed do distressed. She was going to get married to someone else. She'd known she would have to break up with him eventually at some point and was upset over it. This explained everything. How could he have been so stupid? He knew something was bothering her, but he never expected anything like this.

"Married…" he whispered.

Though he didn't know Kenichi Tsubata personally, he certainly knew of him. Though not as high up as his own family, the Tsubatas were both rich and powerful. This had to be an arranged marriage. It wasn't uncommon for those in their position, and he'd already witnessed the Itsukushima family attempting to gain power and ranking through marriage when he help break the engagement between Shion and Takako's brother. Now it seemed that they were trying to marry off their daughter for that very same purpose.

"The wedding is next month," she told him, still keeping her back to him. If she looked at him now, she would completely fall apart. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I wanted as much time to be with you as I could get, without having my engagement hanging over our heads; that would have just ruined any time we had left."

Her hands clenched a she forced herself to continue talking. "I'm also sorry for making you come to that Love Hotel with me. I wanted my first time to be with you though. I'm sorry for using you like that, but that memory will always be precious to me, and I will always hold it close to my heart."

There was so much more she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she would always love him, but knew that that would just make it harder for the both of them. She had to leave now before she completely lost it.

"Goodbye," she said, and opened the car door.

"Takako, wait!" Mizuho cried as the two bodyguards held him back.

Once she was in the car and the door closed behind her, the bodyguards released Mizuho and went around to the other side of the vehicle. Mizuho paid them no mind as he fell against the tinted window as it rolled up, but he was unable to see inside.

"Takako! Takako!"

The limo started up and took off, leaving Mizuho behind. Inside, the tears that Takako had been holding back began flowing freely as her love was left in the dust. Her father sat across from her with a disgusted scowl on his face.

"Disgraceful," he grumbled. "You are to be confined to your room until the wedding is over, and I will be keeping your cellphone until then so I can make sure you don't contact that boy."

Takako could only nod as she looked out the window, not seeing anything.

The car disappeared around the corner, and Takako was gone. Mizuho stood rooted to the spot, his whole body numb as he tried to accept the reality of the situation. It didn't feel real. It couldn't be. This had to be a dream. Fate wouldn't be so cruel as to tear the two of them apart like this.

"Takako…" he whispered.

The sound of applause from behind him caught his attention, and he turned to see a young man walking towards him with four men dressed the same as Takako's bodyguards.

"Bravo, bravo," the stranger said, clapping his hands. "A truly marvelous performance. It was definitely worth coming our here to witness this."

Mizuho stared at the stranger. Judging from appearances, it seemed he came from money. He was certainly very handsome, but Mizuho felt something… off about him. Who was this person, and why was he here?

"Who are you?" he demanded, his distress over what happened between him and Takako evident in his voice.

The person chuckled. "You mean my dear sister didn't you about me? I'm hurt."

His words were enough of an indicator for Mizuho to guess his identity, and his eyes narrowed. "Kazutaka."

"Bingo!" the stranger declared, snapping his fingers. "Do forgive me for dropping by unannounced, but I wanted to make sure my dear sister followed our father's orders."

Mizuho's fists clenched. "So I was right. Her family did pressure her into breaking up with me."

Kazutaka just shrugged. "Don't take it so personally. It's just business. I don't know why my darling sister has to oppose it so much. Her marriage into the Tsubata family will be of great benefit for us. It's such a shame she has to enter into their family tainted. Speaking of which," he grabbed Mizuho's hand and shook it, "allow me to show my gratitude to the boy who stole my sister's virginity."

Though Mizuho wasn't one to judge anyone right away, he felt a great dislike for the person standing before him. His anger at Kazutaka's words covered up any embarrassment he may have felt over the fact that the guy somehow knew that he and Takako had been intimate, and he pulled his hand free.

Kazutaka just smirked. "Oh my, did I hit a soft spot. So sorry, didn't mean to." His smile became more sinister. "Tell me though, how was she? Did my sweet sister moan like the whore she is?"

"Don't talk about her like that!" Mizuho shouted. "Not that it's any of your business, but what we did was beautiful!"

Kazutaka openly laughed at that. "Good God, you're pathetic. Sex is just sex. Don't make such a big deal out of it. Besides, soon she'll be spreading her legs for her new husband."

"I said shut up!"

The moment the words left his mouth, so did his breath as Kazutaka's fist punched into his gut. With the breath knocked out of him, he fell to his knees, coughing and sputtering as he clutched his stomach.

Looming over him, Kazutaka bent down, grasping Mizuho's shoulder painfully tight. "Take this as a warning. Stay away from my sister. She has a duty to fulfill, and she'll do it, whether she wants to or not. And we won't stand to have some pretty boy like you mess this up for us."

Mizuho glared at him from over his shoulder. "I… I can see why she wanted me to help break your engagement to Shion."

Kazutaka blinked, then threw his head back and laughed. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew that little tramp had something to do with my engagement being cancelled. That sneaky little bitch." He wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. "Oh well, what's done is done. Perhaps I'll save this new discovery for later though. But it's such a shame I never got to sample Miss Jujo's goods. I was really looking forward to that."

"You're horrible."

Kazutaka looked down at him and placed his foot on his shoulder. "Cry me a river why don't you," he said, kicking Mizuho over. Smirking, he motioned to his men. "Lets go, boys. Leave the pretty boy to wallow in his misery."

He turned his back and walked away, his bodyguards following close behind protectively. Mizuho let him leave, not having the energy to get up. His heart hurt more than any other part of his body.

**(A/N: Heartbreaking, isn't it? We also saw some of what goes on behind closed in the Itsukushima family, and how controlling Takako's parents are, especially her father. And Kazutaka is loving this. What will Mizuho and Takako do now? More to come next week. And, cuz, don't you dare tell your mother about the language and the type of name calling in this chapter.)**


	9. Chapter 9: More Meetings

**(A/N: After a rather heartbreaking previous chapter, we're about to find out how Mizuho is coping with the breakup, and how his friends are going to react. I know of at least one person who will be happy about it, maybe more. How is Mizuho going to handle things from here on out. Lets see.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 9: More Meetings**

Mariya couldn't stop laughing. Though she was sympathetic towards Mizuho about the break up, she still found it hilarious that her self-chosen arch-rival was now engaged to someone else, freeing the object of her own affection.

Shion threw her a dirty look. "It's not funny, Mariya."

Mariya looked at her, trying to control herself. "Yes, it is. It's what she deserves after everything she's done to us."

Shion sighed. "I thought that was worked out already."

Mariya rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it. You're making it sound like this is a complete tragedy. The Tsubata family is rich and influential, and from what I've heard, their son is very nice, and very handsome. She's landed herself a good husband, and her family is happy about it. I don't see what the problem is."

Shaking her head, Shion looked back at Mizuho. He was staring off into space with a dreary look on his face. Frowning, she reached over and patted his hand comfortingly. "I'm so sorry, Mizuho. Sometimes love doesn't always work out."

Mizuho looked at her with unseeing eyes. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to give her up. I can't give her up, but what can I do?"

Shion just shook her head again. "There's nothing you can do. In the end, it's up to Takako. But judging by how controlling her family is, she's not being left with much of a choice."

"Well, I say good riddance," Mariya scoffed. "We don't need her in our lives. You're much better off without her. Now it's time to move on. The best way to cure a broken heart is with a new love."

She waited for a reaction from him, and pouted irritably when she got none. It was very frustrating seeing him so bent out of shape like this over Takako. Personally, she was glad her love rival was out of the way; it made her win by default. But that victory would amount to nothing if Mizuho never even looked her way. And he wouldn't as long as Takako was around.

Instead, it was Shion that glanced at her. "You can't just change your heart so suddenly. We can't help who we fall in love with. You should know that very well." She gave her a pointed look. "A broken heart is very painful, and both Mizuho and Takako are nursing one."

Mariya just waved this off. "Bah, I'm sure Takako will fall for this Kenichi guy soon enough. He's a real catch, the type of guy any girl would fall for. And thanks to his family, she'll get exactly what she needs for a more successful future. That's all she and her family care about, getting ahead. In the end, she'll be getting exactly what she wants."

Her words trigger something in Mizuho, and he suddenly found himself furious at his cousin; and he wasn't one to get mad. "That is enough! I'm tired of you putting down and badmouthing Takako because of your petty unjustified grudge! Just leave her alone!"

Caught off guard, Mariya stared at him for a few moments before getting angry herself. "She doesn't deserve you! You're too good for her! I tried to tell you that nothing good would come from her associating with her!"

Mizuho stood up, his eyes shining with anger. "This isn't about you and your feelings, Mariya! It's about mine; mine and Takako's! It's very easy for you to talk badly about her when you don't know anything, and you don't! You have no idea what she's been through, the things she's given up! But I do! I've met her brother, I've seen what he's like! And if the rest of her family is anything like him, then she is to be pitied, not ridiculed! But you're so blinded by your grudge that you refuse to see the truth, and are intent on making her out to be the bad guy! You've labeled her as such in her mind, and twist everything she says and does so it makes it seem that way. I really thought better of you, Mariya! You've really disappointed me!"

He turned to Shion and gave her a short farewell bow before storming off. Pulling out his cellphone, he began sending yet another text to Takako.

Back at the table, Shion and Mariya stared at Mizuho's retreating form with wide eyes. Once the initial shock passed, the former began to chuckle.

Mariya glared at her. "What are you laughing at now?"

Despite the situation, Shion couldn't help but smile. "Oh, nothing. It's just that I've never seen that side of Mizuho before. It was very interesting to see him so angry." She snickered again, but then fixed Mariya with a serious look. "In any case, he's right, Mariya. You've got to stop harping on Takako. You're grudge is indeed petty and unjustifiable, but I can understand you jealousy though. All the same, you need to stop talking badly about her, or your really going to make Mizuho hate you. Regardless of how you feel about either of them, Mizuho and Takako love each other. You're going to have to accept that, or you'll end up losing him completely."

Mariya shook her head. "I can't accept that. I won't. And I can't lose him, especially to her. I won't lose to that woman, not in this."

"It's not up to you," Shion told her seriously. "It's a matter of the heart."

Sitting back, Mariya crossed her arms and grinned. "I know that. And now that his heart is broken, he's vulnerable. I'm perfectly fine with being the rebound girl. Now's the perfect opportunity to swoop in."

Shion's eyebrows rose. "Oh, really?" She then took on a semi-serious tone, and picked up her tea to take a sip. "In that case, perhaps I'll steal him for myself."

Mariya glared daggers at her. "Don't even think about it."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Thank you for coming," Mr. Itsukushima said as Kenichi Tsubata entered his office.

"Of course, sir," the boy replied, and took a seat as Mr. Itsukushima motioned to the chair. "What did you want to talk about?"

Mr. Itsukushima folded his hands. "This and that. There's a few last minute things regarding the wedding to go over, and I'd also like to discuss the merging of our two companies. As the future C.E.O. of the Tsubata industry, there are some things we need to go over."

Kenichi nodded. "I understand, sir. However, before we get to that, there are some things I'd like to talk to you about in regards to your daughter, if I may be so bold, sir."

Mr. Itsukushima raised an eyebrow. "But of course, my boy," he said, trying to keep his irritation from showing. "Anything you want."

The boy nodded his thanks. "I couldn't help but notice that for the past few days, Takako has seemed rather… distraught whenever I've seen her. I've become rather concerned, but she will not speak to me about it. I was wondering if you knew what was bothering her, and if there's anything I can do to help."

Mr. Itsukushima simply waved this off. "It's nothing to concern yourself with. It is nothing more than the wedding blues. You know how overly emotional women get. It could also be her time of the month, if you know what I mean."

Kenichi nodded, though he felt rather insulted on behalf of all women for Mr. Itsukushima's low opinion of them. "I see. That would indeed explain things." He hesitated a moment before venturing. "If I may, sir. I have heard that your daughter also had a boyfriend she was vey much in love with prior to our engagement. Would that be any reason for her depression?"

A scowl appeared over the older man's face that he didn't bother trying to hide. "This is… true. She was indeed involved with someone, but has since ended their relationship. She understands her duty, and is fully intent on seeing this through. I can assure you that this wedding is fully consensual, and will take place without issue."

At that moment, the cellphone on his desk chimed, indicating that a text message had been received. Mr. Itsukushima looked at it, his scowl visibly deepening as he read the message and set the phone down again.

Kenichi eyed the phone, finding it strange that Mr. Itsukushima would own a pink cellphone with a big red heart on the back. It didn't take much for him to put the pieces together.

He glanced at the scowling man. "Sir, may I ask why you have your daughter's cellphone and why you're going through her text messages? Not to be rude, but is that not a blatant invasion of privacy?"

Mr. Itsukushima's brow furrowed and he glanced at the cellphone, realizing that he would never be able to pass off the pink girly device as his own. With a sigh, he decided to not even bother to deny who it belonged to. "Yes, it's hers. She gave it to me to hold on to." He noted Kenichi's questioning look, and his mind worked quickly to come up with an excuse. "You see, Takako's breakup with her… boyfriend wasn't entirely mutual. The boy didn't want to end things. He's the very jealous and possessive type, and has since been obsessively texting and trying to call her. She's been ignoring it, but his insistence has begun to make her feel uncomfortable, so she gave me her cellphone to hold onto for now until he stops, but to let her know if one of her friends or business associates calls."

He folded his hands and sat back. "Quite frankly, it's becoming rather worrisome, and I'm greatly considering getting a restraining order. The boy doesn't want to take 'no' for an answer, and just can't seem to take a hint. You would think he would have better things to do than hound my daughter." His eyes lit up. "In fact…"

He picked up the cellphone and began texting. Kenichi frowned in disapproval. Regardless if Takako's ex was a stalker freak, it didn't give her father the right to use her phone to send out text messages like that. And something about his explanation just seemed off to begin with. It sounded reasonable enough, but Kenichi couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.

"There," said Mr. Itsukushima, "lets see how he likes that. Maybe now we can have some peace."

Kenichi raised an eyebrow as Mr. Itsukushima set Takako's phone down again. "May I ask what that was about?"

A smirk crept up Mr. Itsukushima's face. "Just sending him on a wild goose chase. Maybe when he realizes that he's been stood up, he'll finally get the message." He folded his hands once more. "Now, shall we get this meeting underway?"

Kenichi glanced at the phone one last time before looking back at Mr. Itsukushima and nodding.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Mizuho had gotten his hopes up when he received a response to his text from Takako. It had said that she wanted to meet and talk about things, giving him a time and location for them to meet.

Without a moment's hesitation, Mizuho had rushed to where Takako said they would meet. His heart was pounding, but not from running. He needed to see Takako again. So far, she hadn't been responding to her text or phone calls, but his spirits had lifted when she had finally answered him. They would meet and talk this out. Together, they would come to a solution. He would see to it. They loved each other and were meant to be together.

But as the meeting time passed and the minutes continued to tick by, he began to get worried. Takako was always on time, it was one of those sense of responsibility things about her that he greatly admired. That didn't mean that she couldn't be late; after all, unexpected occurrences did happen from time to time, and at first he simply assumed that this was one of those times. Yet thirty minutes after the meeting time had gone by, he knew something was wrong. He tried calling and texting her again, but received no response.

Could she have gotten held up? Was she unable to sneak out? Did her parents catch her and forbid her from coming? Had she had texted him the wrong time? All these possibilities ran through his head. He wanted to call one of his friends and ask if they could find out if anything had happened, but decided not to since he didn't want to risk missing her call if she tried to contact him.

Checking the time on his phone, he saw that he had been standing here for four hours. All evidence pointed to the fact that he had been stood up. Him simply standing here waiting for so long was typical manga cliché that no one actually did, yet here he was. It wasn't like Takako to stand someone up though; that just wasn't the type of person she was.

It was now 11:00. The sun had gone down, and it had begun to rain an hour ago, yet he still remained where he was, completely soaked to the bone. He knew she wasn't coming, especially not now. Deep down he knew it after the first hour of waiting. Yet he kept telling himself that he would wait just a little longer, and the time just kept adding up. He didn't want to leave and end up missing her, even when it was apparent that she wasn't coming.

As the rain continued to pour down, he became oblivious to his surroundings, but as the sound of footsteps approached, and eventually stopped beside him, his attention shifted to the person.

Standing next to him was a young man, only a year or two older than him. He stood under his umbrella, staring at Mizuho with tired eyes.

"She's not coming, you know," he said.

It took a few seconds for his words to come through Mizuho's dazed state. "Huh?"

The boy raised an eyebrow at him. "You are Takako's boyfriend, aren't you? I just wanted to let you know that she's not coming. She doesn't even know you're here."

Slowly, Mizuho began to snap out of it. "What? But how do you know? What do you mean she doesn't know I'm here? Who are you?"

The boy looked him up and down. "Well, you don't seem like the obsessive stalker type." He bowed to Mizuho respectfully. "It is nice to meet you. I am Kenichi Tsubata."

On habit, Mizuho returned the bow. "Mizuho Kaburagi."

Kenichi raised an eyebrow again, this time in interest. "Kaburagi? As in the Itsukushima's biggest competitors?" A chuckled escaped him. "I think I'm beginning to understand."

As Mizuho's name registered to Kenichi, so did the Tsubata name start to click in his own head. "Wait. Kenichi Tsubata? That would make you…"

"Takako's fiancé," Kenichi finished for him. "Through our parents' arrangement. And as I told you, she's not coming. Her father confiscated her phone. He was the one to send you that text to meet her here so you would think that she stood you up."

"Her father?" Mizuho repeated. Now it all made sense. That was why she didn't come, why she didn't answer any of his calls or texts. That probably meant they took her computer too since she hadn't responded to any on his e-mails either. "I see."

"Good," Kenichi replied, sounding sincere. "I wasn't sure if you were the type to really wait around like this, but I decided to check. I'm glad I was able to sneak a peek at her phone when her father wasn't looking to find out where you were told to come."

He turned around and waved a car over. A limo pulled up, and he climbed inside, motioning for Mizuho to come in with him. "Get in. You're going to catch a cold in this rain."

Mizuho hesitated. "I'll get the inside all wet."

This didn't seem to concern him. "Don't worry about it. Come one, I'll give you a ride home."

Thanking him, Mizuho got inside. The two sat across from one another as the limo started moving.

After about two minutes of silence, Mizuho felt the need to speak. "Why did you come looking for me?"

Kenichi gave him a curious look. "Call it a common courtesy. Besides, what Mr. Itsukushima did to you was very wrong. Playing around with a person's heart is quite cruel."

It wasn't that Mizuho doubted the boy's sincerity, however, he still needed to ask. "But why? I'm your fiancée's ex-boyfriend. Aren't you threatened by me?"

Kenichi studied him for a few moments. "I would be, if Takako or I had any feelings for each other, but as it stands, we're simply engaged because our parents decided on it."

A glimmer of hope flickered within Mizuho. "Then you don't want to marry her?" he asked, wondering if Kenichi would break off the engagement.

Kenichi seemed to consider this. "I wouldn't say that. I always knew my parents would choose a bride for me. I'm actually rather pleased with their choice. Takako is a fine young woman. She's smart, beautiful, well-mannered. She'll make a fine wife."

"And her?" Mizuho persisted. "You don't care if she doesn't love you?"

Kenichi just shrugged. "Regardless of her feelings, it's her choice in the end. Her parents may be pressuring her, but the decision is still her own, even if she doesn't realize it. I will be a good husband to her. I'll treat her right, and be a loving father to our children. My hope is that one day we will fall for each other."

It felt as if a vice had gripped Mizuho's heart. The thought of Takako falling for someone else, of having someone else's children, left a phantom pain in his chest that was almost physical.

They were silent for the remainder of the car ride, Mizuho staring out the window and Kenichi watching him. When they were almost to Mizuho's house, Kenichi spoke.

"Do you love her?"

Mizuho looked back at him. "What?"

"Takako. Do you love her?"

Mizuho stared at him. Of course he loved her. Wasn't that obvious? "With all my heart."

Kenichi continued to watch him, not saying anymore. They eventually pulled up to Mizuho's mansion, and he opened the door to get out.

"Thank you for the ride, and for coming after me."

Receiving a nod in response, he closed the door and made his way to the gate that led to the path leading up to the large majestic mansion. He'd only taken a few steps before the window to the limo slid open.

"A word of advice," Kenichi told him. "If you really love her, you should fight for her. If not, then you aren't worthy of her, or her love." He gave him a serious look. "Know this, I plan to wed Takako next month. And unless something changes, I will."

The window slid shut, and the limo drove away. Mizuho watched the car go, a new feeling of determination kindling within him. Kenichi was right, if he loved Takako, he should fight for her. And he would too. He would come up with some way for them to be together, no matter what.

First he had to come up with an idea.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Mr. Itsukushima was working at his desk, going over papers, when his secretary contacted him. Scowling at having had his train of thought interrupted, he pressed the speaker button. "What is it?"

"_Mr. Itsukushima, there is a Mizuho Kaburagi here to see you."_

His eyebrows rose in surprise. What was that boy doing at his office? As if he didn't already know. "Send him away."

"_Yes, sir."_

Thinking that was the end of it, he went back to his work, but less than a minute later, his secretary contacted him again.

"What?"

"_Sir, he's still here. He insists on seeing you. He says it's very important."_

He scowled. "As is the work I'm doing. I don't have time for this right now. If he wants to talk to me so bad, then you tell him that he'll have to wait. Now don't bother me about this again."

"_Understood, sir."_

Grumbling, he glanced at the clock. It was far too early for this nonsense. Why couldn't the brat just give up already? He was certainly adamant; he would give him that.

The hours ticked by as he went through paperwork. Eventually, his stomach started growling, and he pressed the button to contact his secretary. "Yuribi, bring my lunch."

"_Yes, sir. But, um, what would you like me to do with the young man?"_

"What?"

"_The young man, Mizuho Kaburagi, he's still here, sir. He's been waiting here the entire time."_

Mr. Itsukushima looked at the clock. It was 2:07. His secretary had first contacted him about the boy at 7:18. Had he really been waiting for nearly seven hours? Didn't he get tired of waiting? How utterly frustrating.

Deciding it would be best to just get this over with once and for all, he pressed the button again. "Very well, send him in."

He sat back and waited. A few seconds later, the door to his office opened and the boy walked in.

"Thank you for seeing me," Mizuho said, bowing respectfully.

Mr. Itsukushima simply nodded at him and motioned for him to sit down. "What do you want?"

Mizuho shifted uncomfortably. He'd come here with a purpose, he'd known what he wanted to say, but now he wasn't sure how to say it. All the rehearsing he had done seemed to go right out the window.

"Well?" Mr. Itsukushima demanded impatiently.

"I'm…" Mizuho began. "I'm here on behalf of your daughter."

Mr. Itsukushima just scoffed. "I had worked that much out on my own. I also figured out that this is about her engagement. So say what you want to say already, and be quick about it."

Mizuho swallowed nervously. "V-Very well. I would like you to reconsider your daughter's engagement."

"No."

The instant reply came out in a bored tone. Mizuho was so caught off guard by the bluntness of it that he blinked. "But… sir, she doesn't want to get married."

"And she told you this?" Mr. Itsukushima demanded.

Mizuho hesitated. "Well… technically, no, she didn't. But I can tell. She and I, well, we… we…"

"It's not your concern," Mr. Itsukushima interrupted. "Takako is a member of the Itsukushima family. She will do her duty to it."

"Even if she doesn't want it."

"I repeat, she will do her duty, whether she wants it or not." His eyes narrowed. "Don't think don't know what this is about. You and my daughter were lovers. You have feelings for her and want her for yourself. Well, let me tell you something, boy, even if you weren't the son of our company's biggest competitor, I still wouldn't hand her over to you."

Mizuho gripped his seat. He had known this would be a long shot going in, but it was apparent that Mr. Itsukushima had made up his mind before he had even walked into the ruthless businessman's office. It seemed that the only reason Mizuho had been allowed in at all was so that he could be gotten rid of. The man really didn't care about his daughter's happiness at all.

"Sir, you should know that your daughter and I have genuine feelings for each other," he replied, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. "I… I love her."

It became apparent that Mr. Itsukushima was now attempting to keep an amused smile from creeping up his face as he watched Mizuho become desperate. "Yes, that's very sweet, but it won't get you anywhere in the world. Love doesn't put bread on the table after all. Having Takako marry into the Tsubata family will be of great benefit for us."

Mizuho took a few deep breaths. "If… If that's the case, wouldn't you benefit more from my father's company?"

Mr. Itsukushima raised an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting? A merger? Are you saying that you would marry my daughter?"

Mizuho felt a blush creep up his face as he gave a nod.

The older man studied him for a few moments before laughing. "How very cute. I didn't know the two of you were that serious. Regardless, it changes nothing. Your family and its company are currently greater and more well known than mine." The unspoken words 'for now' were hidden in there. "It won't be so much of a merging as it would be my company getting absorbed by yours, and that is something I will not allow." He rested his cheek on his knuckle. "In any case, any type of partnership between our companies would not work out. We tend to do things differently than you do. Your family isn't quite as… ambitious as ours."

Sleazy would have been a better word for it if the rumors Mizuho had heard about the Itsukushima company were true. The same could be said for their actual family. Until he had actually met Takako's father and brother, Mizuho had actually assumed that the things he had heard were really nothing more than rumors, choosing instead to believe the best in others. However, his opinion of these people was quickly changing. How could someone as caring as Takako come from such a horrible family?

"If this is all you've come here to say," Mr. Itsukushima continued, "then our business is concluded. Good day."

But Mizuho wasn't backing down. Eyes narrowing in determination, he stood up. "Please, sir, I beg you to reconsider, for your daughter's sake, for her happiness."

Mr. Itsukushima glared at him, now growing frustrated. "You're proving to be a real nuisance, boy. I won't have you ruining this opportunity. So tell me, how much will it cost?"

Mizuho blinked. Cost? He was offering him money? To what? To give up on Takako? The very thought infuriated him. Even if his family hadn't been filthy rich, even if he were bums living on the streets, he would never trade Takako for anything, no matter how much was offered.

"My feelings for her are not for sale, sir," he seethed, attempting to keep his voice calm and steady. "And I'm actually rather insulted that you think that you cold buy me like that. Takako is worth more to me than anything in the world."

Mr. Itsukushima stood up, all pretenses of being polite gone. "Is she worth being imprisoned for trespassing? Because if you don't leave my office this minute, I will have my security team come and forcibly remove you. I want you to stay away from my daughter. She will marry Kenichi Tsubata as planned, and that is final. Now get out of my office."

The two stared at each other for several seconds before Mizuho finally back down. "Fine, I'll leave." He turned and headed for the door, but paused before leaving. "But I won't give up on Takako."

The door closed. A low growl escaped Mr. Itsukushima as he sat down. That boy was certainly making things complicated. If his daughter found out he was still pinning for her, she might try and defy him again. Something would need to be done about this. And if his sources were correct, then he had an idea of what to do.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The limo drove along at a leisurely pace. Though this may have appeared to be a wealthy or famous person going for a drive, there was a business meeting of sorts taking place inside.

Kazutaka smirked as he finished explaining the proposition his father had come up with. Having good experience in dealing with these matters, Kazutaka had been left to take care of the details, and he was enjoying every minute of it.

"So, what do you say?" he asked the person sitting across from him. "It's a good deal, no? We secretly move up my sister's wedding without telling anyone. Just to be safe, you keep Kaburagi distracted for the day so he can't interfere. Sound pretty easy."

Across from him, the other person in the car reluctantly nodded. It was a good plan. No one would get hurt, and everyone would get something out of it.

A cruel smile crept up Kazutaka's face. "I thought you would see things our way."

"It still sounds wrong," the person across from him replied.

This just made him chuckle. "You know what they say, all is fair in love and war. And besides, what harm are we really doing? The wedding will happen one way or another. By helping us, we're simply avoiding any trouble that may happen. In the end, we'll all get exactly what we want. The wedding will go off without a hitch, and you'll be able to snatch Kaburagi for yourself. Help heal his wounded heart, and he'll be sure to fall for you. It's a win-win scenario."

The person considered this carefully. "Yeah, I guess so. Like you said, no one is getting hurt." They sighed. "Ok, I'll do it."

Smirking, Kazutaka reached out, and the two shook hands as a bargain was made. "A pleasure doing business with you, Mariya Mikado."

**(A/N: Dun, dun, dun. Mariya is in cahoots with Kazutaka. Ok, I know I said I don't like her, but I'm not trying to make her out to be a villain. Just look at it from her point of view. The boy she loves just got dumped, and her love rival is getting married. This is her chance to act on her feelings. All she's agreeing to do is keep Mizuho distracted so he doesn't sabotage Takako's wedding. It's still kind of sleazy, but you should be able to see why she's doing it. And as Kazutaka pointed out, no one will get hurt, and things could work out for everyone. She and Mizuho would get together, Takako and Kenichi will get together and eventually grow to care for each other, and the Itsukushima family will get what they want. Everybody wins. At least that's how she sees it. She's still hesitant though, because deep down she knows it's wrong. As for Mizuho waiting for Takako to show up in the rain, I know it's cliché, but I felt it worked, and this anime already had plenty of ****clichés as it is. ****Stay tuned to see how things play out from here.)**


	10. Chapter 10: Distractions

**(A/N: Ok, cuz, you asked for me to add them in there at some point, well, this is the best I could do. I wish you would have told me sooner so I could have done more, but this is what you get on such short notice. To my other readers, you'll find out what I mean at the end.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 10: Distractions**

Mizuho wasn't giving up on Takako. His plan to talk to her father had failed, but he wasn't going to quit. He would find some way to rescue her from this forced loveless marriage and her controlling family. Then the two of them would be free to love each other freely.

Now the question was, how would he do it? He decided that his best option would be to find a way to talk to Takako and convince her to do what she wanted with her life, not what her family demanded of her. Kenichi was right; in the end, it would be her decision. He just hoped he could convince her to be true to her heart.

It wouldn't be easy to get her to stand up to her family though. He knew that even though she put up a serious and confident demeanor that she was actually very insecure and lacking in self-confidence. This was, no doubt, because of her family's treatment of her, but he hadn't realized until he had actually met her father and brother just how deep that ran. They were trying to bury who Takako really was for their own benefit, but he had seen the real her when the two of them were together. He wanted her to be herself and be happy, but it seemed that her family was determined not to let that happen. He was seriously thinking of reporting this as domestic abuse.

Sighing, he rested his head on his desk. How was he supposed to help her with her family controlling her every move and preventing her from seeing anyone? A phone call to Kimie had confirmed that no one was being allowed to see her, not even Kenichi until the wedding. It seemed like her parents didn't want anyone besides them interacting with her until it was too late.

"MIZUHO!"

Jumping up in surprise, Mizuho fell out of his chair. Rubbing his head, he looked to see his cousin entering the room. "Mariya, don't do that!"

She snickered. "So what are you doing?"

Sighing again, he sat back down in the chair. "Trying to think of a way to help Takako."

Mariya visibly frowned at that. "Oh… um, have you thought of anything yet?"

"Well," Mizuho muttered, "I tried talking to her father a few days ago, but he wasn't too… understanding. And with Takako under lock and key, I can't even get in contact with her through anyone. So now it's on to plan B."

"Which is?"

Mizuho guiltily rubbed the back of his head. "I… haven't exactly come up with anything yet."

Mariya's face lit up. "In that case, how about we go out for a while to clear your head. Maybe you'll come up with something."

Mizuho stared at her for a moment before glancing at the calendar. The date for Takako's wedding was circled in bright red. "No thanks. I should really stay here and-"

"Come on," Mariya interrupted. "You'll never come up with anything if you overdo it and stress yourself out. Come out with me, cool your head for a bit, then try and figure this out when you can think better."

He hesitated, reluctantly seeing the logic in her words. He really wouldn't be able to help Takako if he was too stressed out to think rationally. But still, time was ticking. "I don't know…"

Mariya's fists clenched. "You've got plenty of time. She's not getting married until next month. But you need to handle this right. You're upset and stressed out. Lets go out for a bit so you can unwind, then you'll have weeks to figure out what you're going to do."

Mizuho tapped his finger against his leg, considering this. Maybe he would think better after a few hours of unwinding. He didn't like the idea of going out while he should be coming up with a way to help Takako, but perhaps it would do him some good; he'd been a wreck ever since Takako dropped her engagement on him. Once he got his act together and had his head on straight, then he would be able to really help her.

Deciding his cousin was right, he stood up. "Ok, lets go."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Next to the birth of her children, a woman's wedding day was meant to be the happiest day of her life. So why was Takako more miserable than ever? It was a very simply answer, one that required no guesswork.

Takako knew why she was so depressed. Today she was being wed off to a man she did not love and barely knew so her family could profit, while the boy she really loved was out there somewhere, probably not even aware of what was happening.

It had been a heartbreaking shock when her father had come to her four days ago and told her that her wedding had been moved up from next month to this weekend. All the arrangements had been made, and everything was set up. Confide to her room, with no way to get in contact with anyone, she wasn't even able to let anyone know of the sudden change.

The days had sped by after that, and not in a good way. Takako now found herself in a wedding dress, less than an hour away from being married. Due to the sudden rush, it was a small wedding, and no one else besides her and Kenichi's immediate families, a few business associates, and several bodyguards were in attendance. Takako had wanted to have Kimie, Shion, and some other friends of hers attend, but her parents hadn't let any of them know what was going on. It didn't take much for her to figure out that this rushed secret wedding was taking place to avoid any interferences.

"My, my, sis, don't you look beautiful."

She turned to glare at her brother as he entered the dressing room. "What do you want?"

Kazutaka just sneered. "I simply wanted to see the bride, and I must say, Takako, you look quite fetching in your wedding dress. Why, if you weren't my sister, I'd ravish you myself right now."

A wave of nausea hit Takako as she threw him a disgusted look, watching as he licked his lips. "Get out of here, you pervert!" she shouted in hatred, chucking her bouquet at him.

He snatched it out of the air and causally brought it to his nose to smell the flowers' aroma. "Hmm, so you've still got some fire in you. Are you going to use it while you're in bed with your new husband later tonight?"

His words made her blush. "Get out!"

"Going to show him the skills you picked up that day at the Love Hotel?"

"Leave!"

"Takako, enough!" came the voice of her father. A moment later, he entered the room.

Kazutaka set the bouquet down and winked at her. "See you at the chapel, Mrs. Tsubata-to-be."

Mr. Itsukushima moved aside to allow his son to pass, then gave his daughter a look of disapproval. "I won't have you causing any trouble today, Takako. It's almost over, so keep yourself in check a little longer. After tonight, feel free to cry and be miserable all you want. But until then, suck it up."

Takako winced at her father's harsh tone. She just couldn't take it anymore. She hated her family, she really did. They were just plain horrible people. Her father did nothing but criticize and ridicule her, seeing her as nothing more than a means to an end. Her mother was cold and unfeeling, caring nothing for her beyond public image; the woman hadn't even come to the wedding. Her brother was cruel and manipulative, loving nothing more than to see her miserable, and would do anything to make that so.

There was no love or respect in this family. They only cared about how far ahead someone could bring them. Even then, there was still no pleasing them. Takako had worked hard all her life to meet their demands and gain their approval, sacrificing so much, doing whatever they asked of her, regardless of how she felt about it, yet they never even praised her once, not once. If anything, they had demanded that she do more, work harder, sacrifice more for their gain. They were nothing more than cruel, greedy, manipulative, controlling, gold diggers, and Takako was their pawn. It was a fate she would never be able to escape from.

Feeling a deep sense of resentment, Takako glared at her father, silently telling him how much she despised him. "You're a horrible father."

Her words didn't seem to affect him in the least. "And you're a lousy, spoiled, ungrateful child. All the same, you will do your duty to this family. You owe us that much."

She glared at him. "Owe you what?" she demanded. "You throw your money around and act like you're giving me everything a father should, but it's just for what you can get out of me for it in the future."

She didn't know why she was saying this. Even though she knew better, she glanced at her father, hoping for a sign of sympathy. She didn't know why she bothered, she'd been hoping for years, but had never gotten anything out of him. This time was no different. The only reaction she received was a look of boredom.

"If you're done acting like a child, we'll be ready in a little bit. Dry your tears and fix your makeup, and make it fast."

He turned and left the room. Takako stared at the empty doorframe for a few moments before wiping her eyes. She went to retrieve her bouquet, then looked at herself in the mirror, watching the tears run down her cheeks, messing up her mascara even more.

A bride should not be crying tears of despair on her wedding day.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

This wasn't exactly what Mizuho had had in mind when he had gone out with Mariya. He thought he would unwind with a nice movie, or some karaoke, or maybe a snack at their favorite café. Mariya, however, had ended up dragging him to an amusement park. At the moment, they were currently on a rollercoaster. Mariya was screaming joyfully while Mizuho was sitting next to her, just plain screaming.

When the ride was over, Mizuho stood by a trashcan with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily and feeling as if he was going to vomit. Mariya came up behind him and gave his ponytail a light tug. "Hey, hey, lets go on the spinning cups next!"

Looking green in the face, he gave her a pleading look. "Can we take a break first, please? I don't think I can do another one so soon."

"Eh?" Mariya exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips and returning his pleading look with one of disapproval. "You want to take a break already? But we've only been on five of the rides."

"Yeah," Mizuho agreed, "but some we went on more than once, and all them contained a lot of twists, turns, and loops while going at a very fast pace."

Mariya sighed. "Honestly, you're supposed to be the man here."

"Getting motion sickness has nothing to do with being a man," he argued back.

"Fine, fine," she relented, waving it off dismissively. "Then lets get some ice cream. Come on, you're buying."

Grabbing his arm, she dragged him over to the ice cream stand. A few minutes later, they sat on a bench with Mariya happily licking her triple scoop chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry with sprinkles on top while Mizuho ordered a single scoop of vanilla.

Mariya's hand suddenly smacked against her forehead and she rubbed her brow. "Ouch, ouch, ouch."

Mizuho gave her a concerned look. "Are you ok, Mariya?"

She grinned bashfully. "I'm fine, just a brain freeze."

Mizuho blinked, then smiled in amusement. "You never change, Mariya. You always got brain freezes whenever you ate ice cream as a kid too because you always ate it so fast."

She cut her eyes at him. "Yeah, well you also got motion sickness on rides back then too."

Still smiling, he nodded in agreement. "That's true. It's nice to know that no matter how much we change, some things will always stay the same." He gave her a grateful look. "Thanks for today, Mariya. I guess I was more wound up than I thought. I think I can handle this now."

A feeling of guilt assaulted Mariya, but she pushed it aside. "Of course, glad I could help."

They went back to eating their ice cream in silence, watching the different people pass them by. Finally, Mariya flicked the bottom of the cone into her mouth and stretched out.

"Boy, that was good!" she declared. "So, what should we go on next?"

She looked at him, and saw that he hadn't finished his ice cream cone. In fact, it was all melted, running down his hand, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Mizuho!" she cried, grabbing his hand and wiping off the melted ice cream with her napkin. "Your ice cream is all melted. Hey, Mizuho!"

He didn't seem to hear her. He was staring off into the distance with a far away look on his face. Mariya shifted to see what he was looking at, and saw that it was the Tunnel of Love. Several couples were riding in boats designed to look like swans as they floated down the miniature canal and into a heart-shaped dark tunnel.

Mariya frowned. It didn't take much for her to figure out that he was thinking about Takako, and she didn't like it. She'd brought him here as both a means to distract him and to trick into having a date with her. She wouldn't stand to have him thinking about that woman while he was here with her.

"Hey, lets go somewhere," she said, giving his arm a tug.

Mizuho snapped out of his thoughts as she pulled him to his feet. "Huh? Where we going?"

"Just come with me!"

As was the norm, he let her drag him along until they came up to a large purple tent with yellow stars all over it. Outside there was a sign that read: _**Madam Fortuna's Fortunetelling. Includes tarot cards, palm reading, and divination.**_

Mizuho read the sign and gave his cousin a strange look. "You want to see a fortuneteller? Come on, Mariya, you know this stuff is a scam. There's no way this person's name is Madam Fortuna."

Mariya rolled her eyes. "Oh, just come on," she said, yanking his arm. "It'll be fun, and you may just discover something you never knew about yourself. Even if fortunetelling is a scam, they're good at reading people and making revelations."

Sighing, he gave in and allowed Mariya to pull him inside. It contained everything one would expect to find in a fortuneteller's tent. Stars and glass baubles hung from the ceiling, it was lit by candles burning incense, and in the middle of the tent was a circular table covered in a sheet with a crystal ball and a deck of tarot cards sitting on it. And, of course, there was a woman draped in maroon colored robes, allowing only the upper part of her face to be seen while her hood was up and a light pink veil that covered her nose and mouth.

"Welcome to Madam Fortuna's fortunetelling service," she greeted them. "It's 500 yen for every individual reading, 800 if the reading involves both of you." She motioned for them to sit with a hand covered in numerous rings. "Please, have a seat."

Mariya eagerly sat down and Mizuho reluctantly joined her, looking less thrilled. Though Mariya didn't really believe in this stuff either, she knew that these fortuneteller stands almost always tended to tell people what they wanted to hear. And when it came to couples, they would usually state that the two were destined to be together, but would first have to overcome a difficult trial. With any luck, this fortuneteller would assume she and Mizuho were a couple and would give them such a reading.

"So," said Madam Fortuna, "what would you like to know?"

"Our futures," Mariya immediately responded. "Will Mizuho and I always be together? We'll stay together forever as lovers, right?"

"Huh?!" Mizuho exclaimed, blushing furiously as he gave his cousin a look of disbelief. "Mariya, what are you talking about?"

"_Shh!"_ she immediately shushed him, eager for the fortuneteller to tell them something that had very likely been scripted and said to numerous couples that came in here. Though Mizuho probably wouldn't believe what was about to be said, Mariya at least hoped to plant the idea in his head that the two of them were destined to be lovers, and maybe he would even consider that he might actually have some romantic feelings for her and just didn't know it yet. If Madam Fortuna also claimed they would need to overcome a difficult trial, as was the norm with these stads, maybe she could convince him that dealing with his heartbreak over Takako's marriage was the ordeal they were meant to overcome together.

"Ah!" Madam Fortuna replied. "So you wish to know if your love will be a success. That will be 800 yen, please." She held out her hand and accepted the reluctant Mizuho's money. "I believe that, for this type of reading, we shall look to the crystal ball for answers. Please, join hands, and we shall look into the great beyond!"

She held her hands out to them. Mariya took one and waited for Mizuho to take the other. When he did, Madam Fortuna raised their joined hands in the air.

"Oh, great spirits from the eternal beyond, come to me now! I ask you to look into the paths Fate has chosen for these two! Tell us what their destiny holds! Give us the answers we seek! I beg of you!"

On the table, the crystal ball became foggy, no doubt due to a switch or button Madam Fortuna had hit with her foot. She immediately turned her attention to the smoky sphere, peering into it with wide eyes.

"The spirits come to us," she told them.

At this point, the table began trembling, which was also undoubtedly part of the act. But then, for no reason at all, the temperature noticeably dropped, and all the candles went out, even though there was no breeze inside the tent to extinguish them.

As the fortuneteller's eyes dropped shut, Mizuho had to admit that this was indeed a good act. Madam Fortuna had really gone the distance to make her fortunetelling stand believable. Perhaps someone outside the tent was even helping her.

Suddenly, Madam Fortuna's eyes snapped open. They rolled into the back of her head until only the whites were visible. Then she looked directly at Mizuho and cried out, "Big Sister!"

Both Mizuho and Mariya blinked. "Eh?"

Releasing their hands, Madam Fortuna dove across the table, knocking it over as she tackled Mizuho in a tight hug, bringing them both to the ground.

Mariya jumped up. "W-What is this?" Her mouth dropped open as the fortuneteller affectionately snuggled into Mizuho. "Aah! What are you doing?"

Ignoring her, the fortuneteller looked up at Mizuho with white eyes as a flood of barely comprehensible speech rapidly poured out of her mouth. _"Big Sister, Big, Sister, Big Sister! I missed you so much! After I left, I didn't think I would get to see you again until you died! Heaven is nice, but I really missed you, Mariya, Shion, and everyone else! Oh, and I made friends with your cousin, Chitose, and I also found your mom up here too! She told me she's very sorry she wasn't there for me, but was glad that you took care of me for her after I woke up! She's very proud of you too, and says she loves and misses you and your father very much! I miss you a lot too! It's so good to see you again, Big Sister, Big Sister, Big Sister, Big Sister, Big Sister!"_

It was a shock to be sure, and the rapidly spoken jumble of excited words was difficult to understand. Strangely, the voice was different from how Madam Fortuna had spoken up until a moment ago. There was also something incredibly familiar about it.

"W-What's going on?" Mizuho exclaimed.

Madam Fortuna cocked her head to the side innocently. "Hmm? You mean you don't recognize me?" The rapid speech suddenly spilled out once more. _"That's so mean, Big Sister! I know I've been gone a while, but I didn't think you would just forget me! I know you've been busy with everything that's going on, but we did live together in the same dorm until you graduated! The others haven't forgotten me too, have they? Oh, that's right, I heard you told them that you're really a boy! I'm glad that worked out for you! I knew it would! You're such a wonderful person that they simply had to forgive you for lying, Big Sister! Oh, yeah, I guess I don't have to keep your secret anymore! That means I can call you Big Brother now, should I? Kanna and Yukari call you that now too, right? Then so will I, Big Brother, Big Brother, Big Brother, Big Brother!"_

The voice, it was familiar, as was the overly excited rapid speech and countless words. Mizuho recognized it, and a name slipped past his lips. "I-Ichiko?"

"Wah!" the fortuneteller wailed happily. "You _do_ remember me!"

Almost afraid, Mariya reached out and probed the possessed fortuneteller with a finger. "Is that really you?"

Ichiko/Madam Fortuna looked at her. "Huh? Don't you recognize me, Mariya?"

She sweat-dropped. "Um, look down at yourself."

Ichiko/Madam Fortuna did as she was told, looking at 'her' body. "Eh? This isn't my body! What happened to me? I was just following a voice that was calling, and suddenly I was here."

"Y-Yeah," Mizuho muttered. "You're kind of possessing a fortuneteller. She was trying to make contact with the spirits."

Ichiko/Madam Fortuna's eyes widened. "Oh, yes, that's right. I'm supposed to tell you something important. Mizuho, you're running out of time! You have to help the president right away, or else it will be too late!"

Mizuho looked confused. "What do you mean the pres…? Wait, you mean Takako?"

"If you don't hurry, it'll be too late to stop the wedding!"

A feeling of panic went through Mariya. "I-Ichiko, the wedding isn't until next month. There's still plenty of time." She quickly changed tactics. "Besides, it's been a while since we were last together. Why don't we catch up?"

Ichiko/Madam Fortuna shook a finger at her. "That's not what I was summoned here for. And you're being mean, Mariya. You should know how painful it is not to be with the one you love." She turned back to Mizuho. "You have to hurry, Mizuho! There's not much time!"

Just then, the fortuneteller's body began to glow, and Ichiko/Madam Fortuna frowned. "I have to go back now."

"Go back?" Mizuho repeated. "But, Ichiko, wait-"

"No time," she told him. "But before I go."

She tore the veil off her mouth and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. Mizuho's eyes widened as Mariya cried in outrage. A few seconds later, the glow around the fortuneteller's body stopped and her eyes rolled back down. They instantly widened as she realized what was happening, and she leapt away from him.

"W-W-What are you doing?" she shouted. "I don't offer _that_ kind of service here! Get out! Get out!"

And so, Mariya and Mizuho fled from the tent as Madam Fortuna threw at them anything she could get her hands on.

**(A/N: Ok, cuz, there's Ichiko, just like you wanted. Sort of. I already had her cross over, so it was the best I could do. But it was still an important role that she played. Now Mizuho has to figure out what the warning meant. But Mariya is going to make sure that doesn't happen. Cuz, I hope you know it's not nice to play dirty like that. They say everything is far in love and war, but there's always a line. We're coming down to the wire now, so this are really going to escalate next chapter.)**


	11. Chapter 11: Wedding Crasher

**(A/N: Glad you were satisfied with Ichiko's minor role, cuz. Next time though, I need more advanced notice for when you want me to do something. Just keep that in mind. So, this chapter is a long one, but it's the second to last chapter, so it the climax. Ichiko managed to give Mizuho the message, but it was very vague. It's up to him to figure out the meaning behind it. But what of Mariya? Is she willing to let Mizuho go? And even if she does, what can Mizuho do to stop the wedding? I hope you like it.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 11: Wedding Crasher**

At the top of the Ferris wheel, the entire amusement park could be seen. It was a grand view, and it made for a very romantic setting. It was for this reason that Mariya had dragged Mizuho onto it after Madam Fortuna had chased them out of her booth. Mizuho had been strangely quiet since then, and it was Mariya who was doing all the talking.

"Who would have thought we would see Ichiko again," she was saying. "That really surprised me. We'll have to tell the others. They'll be happy to know she's doing good." She chuckled. "Oh, but of course she is; she's in Heaven after all."

There was no response from Mizuho. He simply stared out the window at the city. Mariya frowned and tried again to strike up a conversation.

"Oh, that's right, we'll have to tell Chihaya that Chitose is doing good too. He, Aunt Taeko, and Uncle Kunihide never really recovered from her death. Oh, and Ichiko mentioned your mom too! I'm sure that made you happy. Right, right?"

When she still didn't get a response, she pouted irritably and nudged him with her foot. "Hey, Mizuho, are you listening?"

He came out of his thoughts. "Huh, what? Oh, sorry, Mariya. I was just thinking."

She forced a smile. "Yeah, it's a lot to take in, seeing Ichiko like that."

Mizuho nodded. "Yes, I'm glad we got to see her again, even if it was only for a little while."

A smirk made its way up Mariya's face. "And how about that kiss? Did you enjoy that?"

He blushed. "S-Stop it, Mariya. That really surprised me."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll bet you liked it though."

His blush deepened. "C-Come on. You know I think of her like a little sister. Not like…"

He trailed off, and Mariya frowned, knowing what direction his thoughts were taking. "Hey, don't think about her right now."

He shook his head. "I can't help it. Especially after Ichiko's warning. She's right, there isn't much time left."

"You have a month," Mariya told him. "And you're not supposed to think about that right now. That's why we came out here, so you can clear your head and come up with a way to properly help Takako."

"Yes," Mizuho agreed, "and this really helped. I feel a lot more clearheaded. Thank you for that, Mariya. I really appreciate it. But now I want to get back to helping Takako again. I already have some ideas that might be able to help her get out of the wedding."

Mariya's fists clenched. She couldn't let him leave yet; it was still too soon. She had to keep him distracted until the wedding was over. "Fine, fine. Lets just go on a few more rides, then we'll head back. I'll even let you pick them."

He shook his head. "No, no more rides. Today really helped, but I really want to get back. A month really isn't all that much time. Can you please drive me home?"

For a few moments, Mariya just stared at him, then she sighed. "Fine, once the Ferris wheel is over. Ok?"

Mizuho gave her an appreciative smile. "Ok."

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They'd left the amusement park nearly ten minutes ago when Mizuho noticed it. He hadn't said anything at first, thinking Mariya was simply taking a different route, but he eventually realized that they were driving farther and farther away from his home.

"Um, Mariya, you're going the wrong way," he told her.

"I know. I just have a quick errand to run since we're out here anyway; then we'll head back. It'll be fine, it won't take long."

"Oh, ok," he relented. "Sorry, I just want to help Takako."

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I know."

He turned to look out her window. "I hope she's ok. I'm worried about what her father and brother might do to her."

"I'm sure she's fine."

He sighed. "I hope so. But you haven't met them. They're really not nice people. I haven't met her mom yet, but I don't think she cares about anything besides this arrangement either."

"Hmm."

Placing his chin in his hand, he placed his hand against the window, watching the streetlights wiz by. "I just can't understand how they can force her into this. I would never do it to my own children. Would you?"

"No," she replied, her voice hardening.

"I mean, Kenichi seems like a nice guy, but how can you force someone to get married to someone they don't love. This isn't the middle-ages. A person should have the right to-"

Mariya suddenly pulled over to the side of the road and slammed on the breaks. Mizuho was grateful for his seatbelt as he jolted in his seat, nearly getting whiplash.

He gave his cousin an incredulous look. "Mariya? What was that for?" He glanced out the window. "Did a cat run across the road?"

"Why?" Mariya quietly demanded.

He looked back at her. "What?"

"Why?" she repeated. "Why is it always about her? Why do you keep thinking about her all the time?"

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean? You know I love her."

She looked up at him with angry hurtful tears in her eyes. "What about me? I'm the one who's always been there for you! I'm the one who's always helped you!"

For a few seconds, he just stared at her, then he sighed. "Of course I love you, Mariya. You're family; how could I not love you?"

"No!" she cried. "Not like a cousin! I want you to think of me as a woman, not a cousin! Look at me, not her! Look at _me!_"

She reached out, grasping his cheeks and pulling him forward, kissing him hard. Mizuho's eyes widened in surprise. He could feel the desperation in her kiss, but he knew he could not return her feelings. You couldn't force yourself to love someone anymore than you could force someone to love you.

Reaching up, he gently pried her hands off his face and pulled away from her. With downcast eyes, he gave her his most apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Mariya, but I can't love you that way. I only see you as family. I know you've done a lot for me, and I deeply appreciate it. I'll never be able to repay you for all you're help. I would do anything I could to help you, but I can't give you what you want. I'm in love with Takako."

Mariya stared at him a few moments before sitting back, the pain and heartbreak evident on her face. "Why her? Why not me? And if not me, how come it has to be Takako of all people?"

He looked away, pretending he couldn't hear the resentment in her voice. "You can't help who you fall in love with, Mariya. You should know that. I may have depended on you a lot before, but I learned to stand on my own two feet and build my own life. I found someone I love, and who loves me in return. That's just how life works. I couldn't help falling in love with Takako. That's why I can't accept your love, and why I have to do everything I can to help her."

Mariya openly fumed at this. "Yeah, well, it won't matter anyway. You should just forget about her. She's about to be lost to you."

Mizuho's head snapped in her direction. "What? What do you mean?"

She didn't answer him, but he noted the guilty look on her face. With it, he was reminded of Ichiko's warning, and what she said about Mariya doing something mean.

His eyes narrowed and he gave her a suspicious look. "Mariya, what's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

She shifted uneasily, fidgeting under his suspicious gaze. She finally couldn't take it anymore and relented. "Her father thought you would try to stop the wedding, so he secretly changed the date."

Mizuho felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest. Suddenly, Ichiko's warning made more sense. "The date was changed? To when? When is it? When she didn't answer, he realized the truth. "It's today, isn't it? The wedding is happening right now." His eyes widened. "You knew, didn't you? That's what this whole outing was really all about."

She refused to look at him as she said, "Her brother came to me. I was just supposed to keep you distracted until it was over."

Her betrayal was like a punch in the gut, much worse than the one Kazutaka had delivered to him. "Mariya, why? How could you?"

She finally turned to him, her eyes angry. "I told you that I love you! Just like you, I'm fighting for my love!"

He unconsciously reached out and grasped her shoulder desperately. "Where is it? Mariya, where's the wedding taking place?"

She shook her head. "I won't tell! I refuse to give you to that woman! Not to her!"

He just stared at her, noting her determination. His grip on her shoulder relaxed as he gave her a serious look. "Mariya, is this just about your own feelings, or is this about you and Takako?" He received no response. "Tell me honestly, if this were anyone else besides Takako, would you really be going this far to stop us from being together?"

She refused to answer, but it was all the answer Mizuho needed. He sighed and sat back. "This Track and Field grudge you hold against her, I've tried resolving it, but you just refuse to cooperate or see the truth. I can't help that, Mariya, and I can't make you realize that Takako never did anything for you to hold her decision against her, even if you want to believe otherwise. You may find it unforgivable, and continue to hold onto your false grudge, but there's nothing I can do about it." He gave her a serious look. "But what you're doing now, _that _is unforgivable. I'm very disappointed in you, Mariya. I really expected better from you."

His hand found the door handle, and he opened it. Stepping outside, he gave her one last sorrowful look. "I'm going to find her, even if I have to run all over the city. Goodbye, Mariya."

Her already white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel tightened even further. Just as Mizuho was about to close the door, she spoke. "The Golden Dawn Church."

He paused. "What?"

"The wedding is taking place at the Golden Dawn Church." She gave him a sad smile, her eyes shining with tears. "I hope you understand that I can't take you there. I still have my pride, and need to hold onto whatever hope I have left that I still have a chance. I have to be true to my own heart."

He stared at her for a moment, briefly wondering if he should trust her after what she did. Finally, a smile grazed his face and he gave her an appreciative look. "I understand. Thanks, Mariya. I knew you were a good person."

He closed the door and took off running. Mariya watched him in her rearview mirror as she let her tears flow. "Yes," she muttered, "I'm such a good person."

Taking out her cellphone, she punched in a number and held it up to her ear. "Hey, it's me. I need a favor."

Once she finished her call, she started up the car and began driving once again. Perhaps it was a good thing she was going to study abroad in America.

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Mizuho must have been running for nearly twenty minutes. He knew how to get to his destination, but it was still quite a ways away on foot. He didn't know what time the wedding was supposed to take place, Mariya hadn't told him, but he was determined to make it in time. He had no idea what he was going to do once he got there, but he had to try.

He wished he had a vehicle to get there, but every car he attempted to flag down just passed him by. It really was a shame that there were so many untrustworthy people in the world that it made picking up hitchhikers too dangerous. There was one car that stopped, driven by a man that had a real playboy vibe about him, but he had driven off once he realized Mizuho was actually a boy.

As he came across an intersection, another car suddenly sped out from around the corner. Swerving towards Mizuho, it came to a sudden stop beside him, and the driver's side window slid open.

"Hurry, get it!" the driver cried.

Mizuho blinked in surprise. "Sh-Shion? What are you doing here?"

She gave him a smile. "What's it look like? I'm giving you a ride so you can crash Takako's wedding. Now hurry up, get it."

Mizuho gave her a look of gratitude before running around to the passenger's side door and climbing in. A moment later, they were off.

"Thanks a lot," he told her, "but how did you even know I needed a ride, let alone where I was?"

A smirk lit up Shion's face. "Mariya called me. She told me you needed a ride, and where to find you. She said she wasn't able to drive you herself, so she asked if I could do it."

Her answer surprised him, but then he realized that it really shouldn't have, and he sent a silent thank you to his cousin, promising to say it properly later.

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It was almost time. In just a few minutes, she would become Mrs. Takako Tsubata. The thought sent a feeling of dread through her, but there was nothing for it now.

She stood at the ready, looking down the aisle to where Kenichi was waiting by the alter. Once she made the walk down there, it would be all over. It was terribly unfair to both of them, but life wasn't always fair. At the very least, it seemed that Kenichi would be content with this union. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for her.

Beside her, Mr. Itsukushima prepared to walk her down the aisle, grasping her arm a little too tightly, as if he expected her to flee. "We've got some news reporters here along with the paparazzi. At least attempt to look happy for the public's sake. It wouldn't do to have the Itsukushima and the Tsubata wedding's bride have her picture appear in the paper without her smiling."

She sent a glare his way. Once again he was more concerned about the family's public image than he was about her. "I would smile, if I actually had a reason to."

His grip tightened. "Just remind yourself of all we have to gain from this union."

Eyes narrowing, she turned away as the music began to play. "You think money, power, and image mean everything, but it doesn't bring you happiness. It certainly hasn't brought any to you and Mother."

Mr. Itsukushima didn't reply as he began to lead her down the aisle. For Takako, each step was more painful than the last. Rather than walking down the aisle to her future, she felt more like she was walking towards death row.

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The car skidded to a halt as Shion pulled up to the church. Mizuho was about to jump out when he noticed she was breathing heavily and looking pale and sweaty.

"Shion, are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

He knew she still had a very weak body from a terminal illness she had a couple of years ago. Though she was cured, it would still take her a few years to heal completely, and until then, she was not meant to overexert herself or else she could collapse, as had happened the day he had been elected Elder.

But she just gave him a tired smile and said, "Go on, I'll be fine; I just need to rest a bit. You've got a princess to save."

He returned the smile and jumped out of the car. Upon approaching the church, he found a dozen bodyguards standing in front of the door. They turned to him as he hurried over, looking ready for a fight.

"Is that him?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, that's him," said another. "So he actually came after all."

Mizuho wasn't interested in fighting, and instead hoped he could reason with them. "Please, let me in. Tak- I mean, Miss Itsukushima is being forced into this marriage against her will."

"Not our problem, kid," a different bodyguard told him.

"Please," he begged, "just let me talk to her."

"Sorry, son," said the first, "but we're being paid not to let anyone enter."

"Especially you," said another. "Even if we have to use force."

He lunged at Mizuho, throwing a punch. Mizuho jumped backwards, avoiding it. He may not look like it, but he'd received self-defense training, and even had to use it before against the kidnappers that had snuck onto Seio Academy property.

Those skills were coming in handy now as the guard attempted to kick him. Mizuho hopped further back and delivered his own roundhouse kick, catching the bodyguard in the side of head, knocking him over.

"You little brat!" another bodyguard cried, charging at him.

Mizuho ducked to avoid the punch and came back up with an uppercut to the bodyguard's chin. A third one rushed over to him, and he and Mizuho locked together, palms grasped, as the bodyguard tried to push him back.

Breaking away, Mizuho ducked down and slipped beneath the bodyguard's legs. He made a run for the church, leaping over the head of yet another bodyguard that lunged for him.

Coming down, he felt arms wrap beneath him from behind, locking him in a tight hold, and lifting him off the ground. Mizuho responded by slamming his head back into the face of the bodyguard. He saw stars, but felt the man's hold on him loosen, and he pulled away. Dropping down, he spun around, kicking outward to trip the bodyguard, then took off towards the church again.

Two more bodyguards rushed at him, the one on the left throwing a punch. Mizuho dodged and threw his own punch, only to have his hand knocked away, allowing the second bodyguard to land his own punch against Mizuho's cheek.

Mizuho stumbled backwards as the bodyguards he had passed came up behind him. He looked around, realizing he was hopelessly outnumbered. Seven bodyguards stood between him and the church with five more behind him, each looking ready to fight. He realized that he wouldn't be able to beat them all. Even if he could, there wasn't time. He would have to get in another way.

As the bodyguards made a circle around him, he looked for a hole in their defenses. His eye landed on the one he had head-butted and tripped, noting that the man still appeared to be dazed. He decided that he would have the best chance against him, and made a run for it.

The bodyguard attempted to hit him, but Mizuho maneuvered around him, escaping from the circle. The bodyguards gave chase, four of them remaining behind to guard the door as Mizuho ran around to the other side of the church, hoping there was a back entrance that had no or less bodyguard.

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"To have and to hold," the priest was saying, "in sickness and in health, until death do you part."

Kenichi's eyes were apologetic, yet he had a genuine smile on his face as he gave his response. "I do."

Takako felt nauseas as the priest turned to her. She was now to swear before God to accept Kenichi to be her husband, and her father was there to make sure she did so. Under the glare she felt him sending her, she couldn't help but feel she was instead selling her soul to the Devil.

"Takako Itsukushima, do you take Kenichi Tsubata as your husband? To have and to-"

A loud _crash_ interrupted the ceremony. One of the large stained glass windows shattered as Mizuho came leaping through, landing on one of the pews. Outside, the flabbergasted bodyguards stared at the shattered window, unable to believe what they had witnessed.

Mizuho jumped off the pews and wiped the broken glass off himself. This hadn't been his plan. After running around to the back and encountering some more bodyguards, he'd been completely cornered. The window had been his only option unless he wanted to have the bodyguards to form a dog-pile on top of him.

Takako stared at Mizuho in stunned disbelief, unable to believe he was really here. "M-Mizuho?"

He turned to her, seeing her standing beside the alter with Kenichi. Behind her stood her father and brother, both looking equally as shocked to see him.

He gave her a smile. "Hey, Takako. Sorry I'm late."

Beside her, Kenichi got over his surprise and smiled, mouthing the words _"About time you got here,"_ to him.

"What blasphemy is this?" the priest demanded furiously.

Mizuho glanced at the shattered window, looking guilty. He turned to the priest and bowed apologetically. "I am terribly sorry for this. I promise to compensate you fully and provide a large donation as penance."

Kazutaka's eyes narrowed. "I'll handle this brat," he growled, storming over to him. "I should have known you wouldn't take a hint."

He threw a punch. Mizuho sidestepped out of the way, grabbed Kazutaka's outstretched arm, and flipped him over his shoulder. Kazutaka was thrown down the aisle, landing painfully on his back, knocking the wind out of him as he laid there, dazed.

Mizuho turned back to the priest and bowed again. "I apologize for using violence in church as well. I shall pray for forgiveness and double my donation for my actions."

Mr. Itsukushima's fists clenched. "It wouldn't be necessary if you had just minded your own business, boy."

Mizuho's eyes narrowed. "This _is_ my business, Mr. Itsukushima. I love Takako, and I want her to be happy. I tried talking to you about how forcing your daughter into this wedding against her will is wrong, but you dismissed me and cut off all our attempts to communicate with each other. Now I'm going to talk to her about what she really wants without you forcibly keeping us apart."

Beside Mr. Itsukushima, Kenichi's father looked back and forth between him and Mizuho. "Mr. Itsukushima, just what is the meaning of this?"

At that moment, the door burst open and the bodyguards came rushing in. They ran over to the wedding party, surrounding them and Mizuho. But he paid them no mind as he focused on Takako, giving her a smile. "You look beautiful, Takako. You truly make a lovely bride; I just wish the circumstances were different."

Takako blushed at his words, her eyes shining. "Mizuho, what are you doing here?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm here to save you. I know you don't really want this wedding, and that your family is bullying you into it. It's not right, Takako. You're entitled to your own happiness. I love you, and I know you love me. Don't throw away what we have just because your father demands it."

"Silence, boy!" Mr. Itsukushima demanded. "You're out of line!"

Takako flinched under her father's harsh tone, but did not take her eyes off her rescuer. "Mizuho… I… I…"

"It's your life, Takako," he continued. "You have to live it. You may not realize it, but you're a very strong person. I see how strong you are, even if you don't. You don't need to let your family control you like this. I'll take care of you. I don't care if our families have rival companies, or even if they're sworn enemies, and I know my father wouldn't mind either." He held his hand out to her. "Come on, Takako, let's go make our own happiness."

Takako stared at him, wanting nothing more than to take his hand, but found herself unable to move. A light squeeze of her hand drew her attention to Kenichi. He gave her a smile and the smallest of nods in Mizuho's direction. She returned the smile and stepped away from him, reaching for Mizuho.

"Stop!" her father demanded. "Takako, just what do you think you're doing?"

She hesitated for a moment before turning to him. "I'm doing what I want for once and taking control of my life. I'm making my own decisions from now on, regardless of what you demand of me. Mizuho is right, I don't want this wedding to take place, and I never did. I told you this on several occasions, but you just demanded that I be the obedient daughter you brought up. Well, no more. I love Mizuho, and I want to be with him."

Mr. Itsukushima's face twisted into a mask of rage. "You ungrateful little bitch! After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Everything you've done for me? Just what have you done? My life has been nothing but work, ridicule, and neglect. You and Mother never once showed me the slightest bit of warmth or kindness, and Kazutaka has been harassing me for years right under your nose, yet you never did anything about it. And all these _special privileges_ you've given me, the fancy clothes, sending me to a prestigious school for a high education, it was never for me, it was always for you, for your precious public image and your company. I'm nothing more than a business investment to you. I've worked so hard to make you and Mother happy, but never once have I received the slightest bit of praise, thanks, or approval. The most you've ever given me was discord and the demand to do better. I've done and sacrificed more than enough for you."

"Enough!" Mr. Itsukushima thundered. "Just keep you're damn mouth shut and do as you're told!"

"Sir, please," said the priest. "I'll ask you not to speak such profanity; we are in God's house."

"I don't give a damn!" Mr. Itsukushima snapped at him. He pointed at his daughter. "You will do as I say, young lady. I will not have you ruining this opportunity for us."

"I'm not a bargaining chip for your damn business!" Takako shouted back, startling her father with her sudden outburst. "That's all you've ever seen and treated me as, a tool to help you're company advance. I'm a person, not some trading goods for you to bargain with. I hate this horrible family and its shady business! It disgusts me; you all disgust me. Well, I've had it. I'm leaving. I'm severing all ties with you and the Itsukushima family. I want nothing to do with you or your business. You won't control me anymore. _I'm_ disowning _you_. I'm finished with you, Mother, and Kazutaka."

She tossed her bouquet on the floor and ripped off her veil before pulling her engagement ring off and dropping it on the floor. Turning back to Mizuho she took his outstretched hand, her eyes shining passionately. "Lets go, Mizuho. Take me out of here."

A smile lit up her face as he pulled her towards him and picked her up bridal style. "Don't worry," he told the stunned Mr. Itsukushima, "I'll take care of her."

Mr. Itsukushima seemed to snap out of it and motioned to his bodyguards. "Stop them!"

As the bodyguards rushed forward, Mizuho hopped back up onto the pews and jumped through the broken window. The bodyguards hesitated as they looked at the shards of broken glass along the window frame before immediately making a run for the door to chase after them as Mr. Itsukushima stormed over to the window.

"Takako!" he bellowed. "Get back here right now! You'll be sorry you crossed me! You're throwing away a valuable opportunity!"

Behind him, Kenichi cleared his throat. "I believe this opportunity in no longer in affect. Wouldn't you say so, Father?"

Mr. Tsubata adjusted his glasses. "Most definitely. This encounter has been most revealing for what goes on in the Itsukushima family. I do believe that I will be retracting my offer of partnership with you, as well as any and all dealings with you and your company. Wouldn't you agree, my friends?"

The business associates that had been in attendance nodded and murmured their agreement. They gave Mr. Itsukushima and his son looks of disapproval as they made their way out. Even the priest was shaking his head in open disgust as the paparazzi began snapping pictures and the reporters began asking questions and scribbling in their notepads.

Mr. Itsukushima's nails dug into his palms as his fists clenched painfully tight. "Damn it!" he shouted, punching out a remaining portion of the already shattered window.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Mizuho carried Takako bridal style as they fled from the church. The bodyguards pursued, but with their head start, the two of them were able to disappear into the trees surrounding the church. Once they found a reasonable hiding place, he set Takako down and they waited for the guards to leave.

After a few minutes, their pursuers were nowhere in sight, and Mizuho let out a sigh of relief. "I think they're gone." He turned to her. "We should be ok now."

There were tears in Takako's eyes as she pressed herself against him. "You came for me."

He was surprised at first, but then his arms came up around her. "Of course I did. I love you, Takako. I've been trying to get to you since you told me about your engagement, but your father wouldn't let me see you."

She nuzzled into his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to break up with you, but I…"

He soothingly stroked her hair "It's ok, I understand. I saw how controlling your family is. I only wish you had told me sooner so I could have helped you before now."

She reluctantly pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes. "How'd you even know? Father was most secretive about the new date and location. He didn't even tell the people that did attend until today."

He gave her a smile as he decided to forgive his cousin. "Mariya told me. Your family wanted her to distract me today, but she told me instead, and then she called Shion to give me a ride here. She said she was too proud to do it herself."

Takako gave a hiccup of laughter. "That certainly sounds like Mariya."

Mizuho nodded in agreement as he decided to keep his cousin's initial deception to himself. He also decided to keep Ichiko's involvement a secret so he wouldn't freak her out; he knew how much Takako was afraid of ghosts. Then he gave her a curious look and asked, "We're you serious about what you said back there, about leaving your family?"

Her smile turned into a scowl, her eyes determined. "I was, and still am. I've actually fantasized about leaving them many times, and have even made plans to do so. I'm fully capable of making it without them; I just never had the nerve to do it until now. But I'm finally finished with them. I hereby disown the Itsukushima family. I want nothing more to do with them. I don't even need them. I can get by just fine."

Mizuho chuckled. "Well, I certainly believe in you. You've got the brains, resources, and experience to pull it off. And you won't be alone either. I'll be there to help you every step of the way. I intend to take care of you and do everything I can to support you, whether you want me to or not."

She gave him an appreciative but uncertain look. "I greatly appreciate that, but would your father approve? After all, I come from a horrible family, and our fathers are business rivals."

Smiling, he tapped her on the nose. "I told you my father would have no problem with it. Besides, you're not your family, especially now that you've severed all ties with them. By the way, I do hope this means that we no longer need to keep our relationship a secret anymore."

Takako's face lit up as she shook her head. "No, no more secrets. Now we can love each other freely. And I do love you, Mizuho. I want to be with you forever."

He took her hands in his. "I want that too. And even though it may be ironic or cliché since several of my friends have already asked me, I have to ask you now. Takako, will you be my bride."

Takako's eyes widened. If Mizuho hadn't been holding her hands, she would have brought them to her mouth. The tears flowed anew as she heard the words she had been dreaming of.

Mizuho looked incredibly nervous as he kept talking. "I know we're both still young, so we can wait a few years until we're ready. Also, I don't have a ring right now, but I-"

She leaned in and silenced him with a kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds though before she pulled back and stared at him lovingly. "Of course I will. I told you before during the Elder's Dance that you had to take responsibility. The only thing that's changed since then is that my love for you has grown even more."

The happiness on Mizuho's face was evident as he pulled her into a hug and kissed her. Takako laughed from joy against his lips, hugging him back just as tightly and trying to return the kiss.

"There's just one problem," she told him. "You're going to end up breaking a few hearts when you tell your friends the news."

Mizuho couldn't help but chuckle at how Kana, Yukari, and especially Mariya would react when he told them. "Yes, that will be a problem. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I just want to be with you."

Smiling, Takako took his hand in hers. "Come on then, lets get out of here."

Holding hands, they took of together, putting the Itsukushima family further behind them. Takako had never been so happy to run.

**(A/N: Looks like Mariya did the right thing in the end. I feel though even though she would have, she wouldn't have been able to hand Mizuho over, which was why I had her call Shion to do it for her. She may be selfish and kind of a b*tch, but I don't think she's really a bad person. According to Wikipedia, she goes to study abroad in America where I hope she finds someone else after she grows up a bit and becomes more responsible. But thanks to her and Shion, Mizuho was able to make it to the wedding in time and convince Takako to follow her own path. Even Kenichi was hoping he would, but he wanted them to do it on their own, otherwise he didn't think Mizuho would have been worthy of Takako. I don't know what happened in the game, but I do know that in several endings, Takako ends up leaving her family in disgust and severing all ties with them, so I did the same. And it looks like the Itsukushima's family was now exposed for the horrible people they are, and Mizuho got to get even with Kazutaka for what happened in Chapter 8. The next chapter is the epilogue. It'll be short, so I'll have it out tomorrow.)**


	12. Epilogue

**(A/N: Here we go, a nice short epilogue to give you a glimpse of everyone's future.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Epilogue**

Mizuho quickly turned off the TV as Takako entered the room. Even though it had been years since she had left the Itsukushima family, he still didn't want his wife to see what was on the news.

Unfortunately, he hadn't been fast enough, and she had caught a glimpse of what was being reported on. Walking over to him, she took the remote and turned the TV back on.

The news report was talking about yet another scandal involving the Itsukushima family. Over the past 20 years, the Itsukushimas had truly fallen from grace. When countless scandals, shady business deals, and even illegal activity had been discovered, not only had the company gone completely bankrupt due to lawsuits and other companies pulling out of partnerships, but the family itself was left dishonored and disgraced, and they only continued to fall more and more. Their company, once the greatest rival of the Kaburagi family, could no longer even hold a candle to them.

Further more, Mr. Itsukushima had even faced jail time for dealing in drugs, as had Kazutaka for sexual harassment, that is, until their remaining money, power, and influence got them released. Mrs. Itsukushima had also suffered as well when her numerous love affairs were discovered, and she was now thought of as a floozy.

Takako sighed and shook her head in disappointment at the images of her parents and brother on the news before turning off the TV again. "I hate to say it, but they got exactly what they deserved."

Mizuho reached for her hand, taking it in his. "You shouldn't say that. Even if you did sever all ties with them, they're still your family."

She shook her head. "They've never been my family. Family is more than blood ties." She turned to him and smiled. "You're my real family, Mizuho. You and our children."

He returned the smile and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. "How are they doing by the way? I really miss them."

She sat down beside him as she reflected on her day. As the principal of Seio Academy since Sawe Mikura's retirement, she got to see their two children while they were at school. "It's interesting that you should ask that. I made a few interesting discoveries today."

"Oh, such as?"

A short giggle escaped her. "Well, did you know that our daughter is dating Eito?"

Mizuho stared at her for a moment, not understanding, before his eyes widened. "Wait, you mean Eito Mikado? As in Chihaya and Kaoruko's son?"

Takako nodded. "The very same."

"Huh," Mizuho muttered thoughtfully. "So Himeji's dating Eito. Interesting."

Takako chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it's a good thing Chihaya warmed up to you. But if you think that's interesting, just wait until I tell you the current pole for the Elder Sister election. It's neck and neck right now between the two candidates."

"And I'm sure Chitose is one of," he said, referring to Chihaya and Kaoruko's daughter, "and our daughter is the other, right?"

With a playful glimmer in her eye, Takako shook her head. "Not quite. You were right about Chitose, but the other one is Sora."

"Ok, so who's…? Hold on, are you talking about _our_ Sora?" His question received a nod. "Really? Our Sora is the other candidate?"

"Well, I suppose it's to be expected," she said with a grin. "After all, he is your son."

**THE END**

**(A/N: And the cycle starts all over again. With that, my story comes to a close. I hope everyone liked it, especially you, cuz. I even threw in a bit of Chihaya/Kaoruko from the sequel OVA series. And now, 20 years later Mizuho and Takako's son is going through the same thing his father did. They never did explain why Mizuho's grandfather wanted him to attend an all girl's school though. Guess we can only speculate on that. Anyway, that ends my story. I hope everyone liked it, especially you, cuz. And you better not tell your mother about the inappropriate things that were in here. So, did it live up to your expectations?**** It wasn't the type of story I'd normally write, but I had fun with it. Hope everyone else did too.)**


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